Chris Jacobs (politician)

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For other people named Christopher Jacobs, see Christopher Jacobs (disambiguation).

Chris Jacobs
Chris Jacobs 117th Congress.jpeg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 27th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 21, 2020
Preceded byChris Collins
Member of the New York State Senate
from the 60th district
In office
January 1, 2017 – July 20, 2020
Preceded byMarc Panepinto
Succeeded bySean Ryan
9th County Clerk of Erie County
In office
January 1, 2012 – January 1, 2017[1]
Preceded byKathy Hochul
Succeeded byMickey Kearns
62nd Secretary of State of New York
In office
April 19, 2006 – January 1, 2007
GovernorGeorge Pataki
Preceded byFrank Milano (acting)
Succeeded byLorraine Cortés-Vázquez
Personal details
Born
Christopher Louis Jacobs

(1966-11-28) November 28, 1966 (age 55)
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Martina Jacobs[2]
RelativesJeremy Jacobs (uncle)
Jerry Jacobs Jr. (cousin)
Charlie Jacobs (cousin)
EducationBoston College (BA)
American University (MA)
University at Buffalo (JD)
WebsiteHouse website

Christopher Louis Jacobs (born November 28, 1966) is an American politician representing New York's 27th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. Jacobs served as the 62nd Secretary of State of New York from April 2006 to January 2007. Beginning in 2012, he held the post of Erie County clerk, and he was a Republican member of the New York State Senate for the 60th district from 2017 to 2020. On June 23, 2020, he won a special election to fill a congressional vacancy in the 27th district. He was reelected to a full term in November 2020.

Early life and education[]

Jacobs was born in Buffalo, New York, as one of five siblings.[3] His family has long owned the Delaware North Companies and the Boston Bruins hockey team.[4] Jacobs earned his undergraduate degree from Boston College, a master's degree from American University and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School.[5]

Career[]

Early career[]

Before holding elected office, Jacobs served as Deputy Commissioner of Environment and Planning in the administration of Erie County Executive Joel Giambra.[4] He also worked at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development under then-HUD Secretary Jack Kemp.[6]

Jacobs served on the Buffalo Board of Education;[7] he was elected as an at-large member in 2004 and reelected in 2009.[8][better source needed]

Jacobs serves on the Boards of Buffalo Place and the Freedom Station Coalition and was previously a board member at the Catholic Academy of West Buffalo and the Olmsted Parks Conservancy.[8]

On April 19, 2006, Governor George Pataki appointed Jacobs New York Secretary of State.[9]

Erie County Clerk[]

In 2011, Jacobs was elected Erie County Clerk. He was reelected to the post in 2014.[8]

New York State Senate[]

Jacobs speaking at a Senate session at the New York State Capitol

In February 2006, Jacobs was the Republican nominee in a special election for a State Senate seat representing Buffalo and Niagara Falls. He lost to Democratic nominee Marc Coppola.[10]

On November 8, 2016, Jacobs defeated Democratic nominee Amber Small for the 60th District State Senate seat. The district was formerly represented by Democrat Marc Panepinto; Jacobs's victory contributed to the State Senate Republican majority.[11]

Jacobs was reelected in 2018.[12] He resigned on July 20, 2020, after being elected to Congress.[13] Democrat Sean Ryan was later elected to succeed him.

U.S. House of Representatives[]

Elections[]

2020 special
Main article: 2020 New York's 27th congressional district special election

In May 2019, Jacobs announced that he would run for New York's 27th congressional district in the 2020 elections. He initially planned to challenge incumbent Chris Collins in the Republican primary,[14][15] but Collins resigned in October 2019 and pleaded guilty to insider trading charges.[16]

Jacobs defeated Nate McMurray, 50.7%-45.6%,[17] in a special election on June 23, 2020 for the balance of Collins's term[18] and was sworn in as a member of Congress on July 21, 2020.[19]

2020 general
See also: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New York § District 27

On the day of the special election, he also won a three-way Republican primary[20] for the general election on November 3,[21] in which he went on to win a full term by defeating McMurray a second time.[22]

Tenure[]

In January 2021, Jacobs objected to the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results in Congress, basing his decision on what The New York Times called "spurious allegations of widespread voter fraud".[23] Jacobs's vote came shortly after the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.[24] On January 10, seven members of the New York State legislature signed an open letter calling on Jacobs to resign.[25]

On January 13, Jacobs voted against both articles of impeachment in the second impeachment of President Donald Trump.[26] On February 4, he joined 10 other Republican House members voting with all voting Democrats to strip Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of her House Education and Labor Committee, and House Budget Committee assignments in response to controversial political statements she had made.[27]

On May 19, 2021, Jacobs was one of 35 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the January 6 commission meant to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol.[28]

Committee assignments[]

Caucus memberships[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress - Retro Member details". bioguideretro.congress.gov.
  2. ^ "NY Republican Chris Jacobs sworn in as newest House member". Star Tribune. July 21, 2020.
  3. ^ Rey, Jay (October 31, 2018). "Chris Jacobs has edge in money, incumbency over Carima El-Behairy in State Senate race". The Buffalo News (in American English). Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "State GOP Hinges on Chris Jacobs". The Public. October 12, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  5. ^ "Jacobs, McMurray vie for 27th District seat". Lockport Union Sun & Journal. June 19, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  6. ^ Heaney, Jim (September 22, 2012). "Interview: Chris Jacobs". Investigative Post. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  7. ^ "Jacobs will be sworn in as congressman today". Orleans Hub. July 21, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c "About Chris Jacobs". New York Senate. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  9. ^ "Jacobs Dodges on Trump, Flanagan". www.nystateofpolitics.com. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  10. ^ "2006 Election Results | New York State Board of Elections". www.elections.ny.gov.
  11. ^ "Chris Jacobs Defeats Amber Small in 60th Senate District Race". Twcnews.com. November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  12. ^ "Our Campaigns - NY State Senate 60 Race - Nov 06, 2018". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  13. ^ "Chris Jacobs to be sworn in Tuesday". Lockport Union-Sun & Journal. July 21, 2020.
  14. ^ "Chris Jacobs calls Collins ineffective; will run against him in 2020". Buffalo News. May 17, 2019.
  15. ^ "State Senator Chris Jacobs Is Running For New York's 27th Congressional Seat". State of Politics. May 17, 2019. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  16. ^ "Ex-Rep. Chris Collins Pleads Guilty in Insider Trading Case". U.S. News & World Report. October 1, 2019.
  17. ^ "June 2020 Special Election Results" (PDF).
  18. ^ McKinley, Jesse (June 24, 2020). "Republicans Retain House Seat in Special Election in Western N.Y." The New York Times (in American English). ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  19. ^ "NY Republican Chris Jacobs sworn in as newest House member". AP NEWS. July 21, 2020.
  20. ^ "Parlato concedes in primary, but McMurray calls for every vote to be counted in NY-27 special election after Jacobs declares victory". WIVB.com. June 24, 2020.
  21. ^ Sherwood, Julie (July 21, 2020). "McMurray supporters rally to win in November". MPNnow.
  22. ^ "New York Election Results: 27th Congressional District". New York Times. November 28, 2020.
  23. ^ Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (January 7, 2021). "The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results". The New York Times (in American English). ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  24. ^ Barry, Dan; McIntire, Mike; Rosenberg, Matthew (January 9, 2021). "'Our President Wants Us Here': The Mob That Stormed the Capitol". New York Times. New York. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  25. ^ Ryan, Patrick (January 11, 2021). "Seven WNY lawmakers sign letter calling on Rep. Chris Jacobs to resign from Congress". WIVB. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  26. ^ "JACOBS STATEMENT ON IMPEACHMENT VOTE". U.S. Congressman Chris Jacobs. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  27. ^ Clare Foran, Daniella Diaz and Annie Grayer. "House votes to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from committee assignments". CNN. CNN. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  28. ^ LeBlanc, Paul (May 19, 2021). "Here are the 35 House Republicans who voted for the January 6 commission". CNN. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  29. ^ "Committees and Caucuses". Representative Chris Jacobs. December 13, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  30. ^ "Homepage of Republican Governance Group". Republican Governance Group. December 14, 2019.
  31. ^ "MEMBERS". RMSP. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  32. ^ "Membership". Republican Study Committee. December 6, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2021.

External links[]

Political offices
Preceded by
Kathy Hochul
 Clerk of Erie County
2012-2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Secretary of State of New York
2006–2007 		Succeeded by
New York State Senate
Preceded by
Marc Panepinto
 Member of the New York Senate
from the 60th district
2017–2020 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Chris Collins
 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 27th congressional district
2020-present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
369th 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from ""