Rep. Sara Jacobs, a San Diego Democrat, is seeking a third term in Congress representing a district that stretches from Lemon Grove north to Mira Mesa and from Clairemont east to El Cajon. Jacobs, 35, became the youngest member of House Democratic leadership in 2022.
To help inform voters, the San Diego Union-Tribune asked all the candidates a series of the same questions about their priorities, positions and campaigns. Their emailed answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate?
I’m proud to represent and deliver for my hometown in Congress. In 2023, I secured over 270 federal grants totaling over $360 million and returned $19 million to my constituents through casework. I also passed several bipartisan laws to improve food security, ensure high-quality privatized military housing and expand housing access for our military families. At 35 years old, I’m the youngest member of House leadership, where I can directly advocate for San Diego in the rooms where decisions are made.
Washington is more chaotic than ever, but I’m proud I’ve built real, productive partnerships across the aisle to make progress and do real good in people’s lives, especially in areas like military quality of life and data privacy. At the same time, I’ve pushed back on extreme policies when they don’t align with San Diego’s values. I’d be honored to continue serving my community and my generation in Congress.
What are the top 3 issues facing this district and California generally?
San Diego is one of the most expensive places to live in the country! That’s why I’ve made addressing the high cost of living my top priority, leading efforts to address youth, family and veteran homelessness, provide relief to renters, expand the housing supply and address the child care crisis.
San Diego is the country’s largest military community, but many military families struggle to afford child care, housing and food. I’ve passed several laws to improve the quality of life of our military families and will continue to prioritize this.
San Diego is on the front lines of our country’s failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform. I secured $70 million for local nonprofits to take care of migrants and asylum seekers and humanely address some of our most pressing challenges — but this isn’t a permanent solution. I will keep working to pass permanent reform to relieve the strain on our border.
What are the first 3 things you would do in your next term in Congress?
The skyrocketing cost of living in San Diego makes it incredibly difficult for low- and middle-income families to make ends meet, let alone enjoy any non-essentials or save for retirement. When I talk with San Diegans, the top costs I hear about are child care and housing.
That’s why in my next term in Congress, I will continue to push to expand affordable, accessible and high-quality child care. I will also prioritize providing relief to renters and expanding the housing supply in San Diego. A majority of Americans can’t even afford a $500 emergency, so I will continue working to reimagine our social safety net to deliver critical services for those facing economic hardship.
What would you do to curb climate change and its effects on California?
In San Diego and across California, we’ve suffered the consequences of the climate crisis up close — from painfully long droughts to raging wildfires to historic flooding. It’s morally and economically in our best interest to address the climate crisis now rather than deal with the costly consequences.
That’s why I’m proud to have presided over the House during the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest investment in climate action in our nation’s history. I also support mobilizing our workforce to implement a transition to a 100% clean, renewable energy economy and investing in smart, sustainable infrastructure.
How should U.S. migration and asylum policy change, what should guide it, and what specifically will you pursue in Congress?
It’s been over 40 years — longer than I’ve been alive — since Congress passed meaningful immigration reform. And San Diego has had to step up and deal with the consequences. Rather than fearmongering, we need to address the root causes of migration and expand legal pathways to enter, work and stay here, which will relieve the strain on our asylum system.
I’ve talked with Border Patrol about this — and they agree that restricting asylum would be ineffective. We need to pass immigration reform that keeps our country safe, supports our workforce and treats migrants and asylum seekers with dignity and respect.
What is your stance on the war in Gaza, and on U.S. involvement in and support of it?
As a Jewish woman with family in Israel, I strongly condemn Hamas’ inexcusable Oct. 7 attack on Israeli civilians. Israel has the right to defend itself, but how it does so matters.
I don’t believe that Israel’s response has advanced its safety and security. Instead, it has killed thousands of Palestinians, including thousands of children, and has badly damaged their international reputation.
It is long past time for Hamas to return all of the hostages, and for this war to end. I support U.S. efforts to negotiate a ceasefire, provide defensive weapons to Israel and advance a two-state solution.
Would you support federal statutory restrictions on, or protections of, abortion rights? Which, and to what extent?
As a young woman, reproductive health care is my health care. I want the freedom and dignity to make the best choices for my body and my life — and so do other Americans. It’s clear that one-size-fits-all abortion bans don’t work, and they can’t account for the variety of valid reasons for needing or wanting an abortion.
I’m proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would protect the right to access abortion care across the country. I will keep fighting to protect all reproductive health care options and privacy in personal health matters.
Would you support or oppose stricter federal gun laws and background checks? Which, and to what extent?
I belong to the Columbine generation — the first generation to grow up in the shadow of gun violence — and unfortunately, we’re passing on this trauma to younger generations.
In 2022, I voted to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act — the first major gun safety law in 30 years. Since then, there has been a historic decline in homicides last year, but there’s still much more to do.
I support reinstating the federal assault weapons ban, strengthening federal background checks, and closing loopholes that allow dangerous people to get guns. I also support anti-poverty efforts to reduce crime and gun violence.
