Sara Jacobs

Sara Josephine Jacobs (born February 1, 1989) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who has represented California's 51st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2021. A third-generation resident of San Diego, Jacobs graduated from Torrey Pines High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master of Arts in international affairs from Columbia University. Prior to her election, she worked in international development, advising on policy for organizations focused on conflict prevention and women's rights, and founded a nonprofit to support emerging leaders.

Elected in 2020 after a competitive primary where family wealth from her grandfather, Qualcomm co-founder Irwin M. Jacobs, played a significant role in campaign funding, Jacobs has prioritized legislative efforts on reproductive health privacy and global humanitarian issues. She introduced the My Body, My Data Act to safeguard sensitive health data from misuse by tech companies and serves as founding co-chair of the bipartisan Protection of Civilians in Conflict Caucus, advocating for policies to reduce civilian harm in wars. As one of the youngest members of California's congressional delegation, her tenure has included advocacy for abortion rights, leading to her arrest during a 2022 protest outside the Supreme Court, and positions on foreign aid that have drawn scrutiny from pro-Israel groups regarding U.S. support amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Sara Jacobs was born on February 1, 1989, in Del Mar, California, and raised in the San Diego area as part of a third-generation San Diegan family. She is the daughter of philanthropist Gary E. Jacobs, a businessman who founded the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School and serves on various nonprofit boards, and Jerri-Ann Jacobs. Her parents established the Jacobs International Teen Leadership Institute in 2000, a program focused on youth leadership development affiliated with the Jewish Federation of San Diego.

Jacobs' paternal grandfather, Irwin M. Jacobs, co-founded Qualcomm in 1985, building substantial family wealth estimated at over $1 billion for Irwin and his wife Joan by 2020. Her uncle, Paul E. Jacobs, served as Qualcomm's CEO and chairman from 2005 to 2018. The family has resided in Del Mar, where her parents continue to live, and has engaged in extensive philanthropy, including support for Jewish causes and education in San Diego.