Sara JacobsIncumbent
Candidate for U.S. Representative, Congressional District 51
Sara Jacobs is the Democratic U.S. Representative for California's 51st District. She is the incumbent. The district covers most of San Diego and nearby areas. She was first elected in 2020. That seat was then California's 53rd District. She has held the renumbered 51st District since 2023. That is when redistricting took effect. She now seeks a third full term. That vote is November 3, 2026. Jacobs was born in San Diego. She earned a degree in political science. It is from Columbia University. She also earned a master's degree there. It covered international security and conflict resolution. Before Congress, she was a policy advisor. That was at the State Department, under Obama. She held staff posts at UNICEF and the UN too. She advised Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign on foreign policy. She was a Scholar in Residence at the University of San Diego's Kroc School of Peace Studies. She founded a coalition on child poverty. It was called San Diego for Every Child. She also led a nonprofit, Project Connect, as founding CEO. In Congress, she sits on Foreign Affairs. She is Ranking Member of its Africa panel. She also sits on Armed Services. She serves as Parliamentarian too. That is for the House Democratic Caucus. Home: San Diego, California. Occupation: U.S. Representative, current officeholder for CA-51. Prior office: incumbent since 2021. She held CA-53 from 2021 to 2023. She has held CA-51 since 2023. She now seeks a third term.
On the issues
- Economy & Jobs
Supports raising the federal minimum wage and strengthening labor/union protections as part of her campaign's economic platform.
Source → - Taxes & Cost of Living
Supports raising taxes on large estates/inherited wealth (including her own family's) to fund child care, opposed the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and voted against a 2025 Republican budget bill she said cut health care and food assistance while giving tax benefits to wealthy individuals and corporations.
Source → - Health & Health Care
Supports Medicare for All and has voted against cuts to Medicaid/Medi-Cal, framing health care as a fundamental right.
Source → - Immigration & Border
Supports a path to citizenship for Dreamers and other undocumented immigrants, comprehensive immigration reform, and legal status for agricultural workers; has pushed for accountability on delayed DACA renewals and secured federal funds for migrant/asylum-seeker care in San Diego.
Source → - Reproductive & Social Issues
Supports federal protection of abortion access and reproductive rights, has led legislation to protect reproductive/sexual health data privacy, and supports LGBTQ+ rights including passage of the Equality Act.
Source → - Education & Schools
Supports student loan borrower protections/accountability for loan servicers and has proposed dedicating estate-tax revenue to expand affordable child care and early childhood education.
Source → - Public Safety & Policing
Supports federal gun-safety measures including an assault weapons ban, comprehensive background checks, and red flag laws.
Source → - Criminal Justice & Courts
Supports reducing mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenses, federal incentives for states to reform cash bail, and federal decriminalization of cannabis with pardons for prior non-violent marijuana offenses.
Source → - Environment, Energy & Climate
Supports a Green New Deal-style transition to a clean energy economy, opposes offshore drilling and fossil fuel subsidies/bailouts, and has signed a pledge not to accept fossil fuel industry contributions.
Source → - Veterans' Affairs
As Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, favors an approach to Africa policy emphasizing governance over military solutions; has co-sponsored veterans' benefits and homelessness legislation including bills on rental assistance, LGBTQ+ veterans' VA benefits, and combating veteran homelessness.
Source → - Government, Elections & Democracy
Supports campaign finance reform including overturning Citizens United, banning members of Congress from taking money from industries they regulate, restricting the lobbyist-to-Congress revolving door, and increased disclosure of political spending; her campaign refuses corporate PAC and lobbyist money.
Source → - Technology & Privacy
Supports federal data privacy protections (particularly reproductive/health data) and has introduced legislation requiring federal agencies to hold AI systems accountable when they contribute to violations of existing law, such as algorithmic discrimination in housing or lending.
Source →
Profiles are compiled from the candidate’s own statements and public records. We never tell you how to vote.