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Chris Jacobs (politician)

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Chris Jacobs
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 27th district
In office
July 21, 2020 – January 3, 2023
Preceded byChris Collins
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
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 Clerk of Erie County
In office
January 1, 2012 – January 1, 2017
Preceded byKathy Hochul
Succeeded byMickey Kearns
62nd Secretary of State of New York
In office
April 19, 2006 – January 1, 2007
GovernorGeorge Pataki
Preceded byRandy Daniels
Succeeded byLorraine Cortés-Vázquez
Personal details
Born
Christopher Louis Jacobs

(1966-11-28) November 28, 1966 (age 58)
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseMartina Jacobs
RelativesJeremy Jacobs (uncle)
Jerry Jacobs Jr. (cousin)
Charlie Jacobs (cousin)
EducationBoston College (BA)
American University (MA)
University at Buffalo (JD)

Christopher Louis Jacobs (born November 28, 1966) is an American politician who represented New York's 27th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2020 to 2023. 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.[1] 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.

Jacobs did not seek reelection in 2022, after receiving what Politico described as "rising backlash" from Republicans for supporting some gun control measures following the 2022 Buffalo shooting and the Robb Elementary School shooting.[2]

Early life and education

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Jacobs was born in Buffalo, New York, as one of 5 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] He is married to Martina Jacobs.[6]

Career

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Early career

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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.[7]

Jacobs served on the Buffalo Public Schools board.[8] He was elected in 2004 and reelected in 2009.[9][10]

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.[9]

On April 19, 2006, Governor George Pataki appointed Jacobs New York secretary of state.[11]

Erie County Clerk

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In 2011, Jacobs was elected Erie County clerk. He was reelected to the post in 2014.[9]

New York State Senate

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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.[12]

On November 8, 2016, Jacobs defeated Democratic nominee Amber Small for the 60th district seat. The district was formerly represented by Democrat Marc Panepinto.[13] The campaigns were rare for their lack of rancor on the part of either candidate.[14]

Jacobs was reelected in 2018.[15] He resigned on July 20, 2020, after being elected to Congress.[16] Democrat Sean Ryan was later elected to succeed him.

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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2020 special

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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,[17][18] but Collins resigned in October 2019 and pleaded guilty to insider trading charges.[19]

Jacobs defeated Nate McMurray, 50.7%-45.6%,[20] in a special election on June 23, 2020, for the balance of Collins's term[21] and was sworn in as a member of Congress on July 21, 2020.[22]

2020 general

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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[23] for the general election on November 3,[24] in which he went on to win a full term by defeating McMurray a second time.[25]

Tenure

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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".[26] Jacobs's vote came shortly after the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.[27] On January 10, seven members of the New York State legislature signed an open letter calling on Jacobs to resign.[28]

On January 13, Jacobs voted against both articles of impeachment in the second impeachment of President Donald Trump.[29] 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.[30]

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.[31]

In September 2021, Forbes reported that Jacobs had violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law, by failing to properly disclose 13 securities trades worth more than $356,000.[32] In September 2022, Business Insider reported that Jacobs had again violated the STOCK Act when he failed to properly disclose 43 additional securities trades worth between $456,043 and $1.415 million.[33]

On May 22, 2022, as a result of sanctions imposed by the United States in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Jacobs was one of 963 Americans permanently banned from entering Russia.[34]

On May 28, 2022, during a press conference on the Buffalo shooting and the Robb Elementary School shooting, Jacobs said he would vote for bills banning assault weapons and "raising the minimum age for some gun purchases to 21", explaining that the Buffalo shooting had "been a profoundly impactful event for me" and that he had rethought his stance on guns.[35][36] Jacobs was endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund during his 2020 congressional run, at the time saying he was honored to receive the endorsement and vowing to serve as an "ally and fighter" for gun owners in western New York.[37][38][39] Subsequently, Jacobs was admonished by some Republican politicians for his remarks, and Carl Paladino, the Republican nominee for governor in 2010, said he would consider challenging Jacobs for reelection in the Republican primary. On June 3, 2022, Jacobs ended his reelection campaign.[2]

On July 19, 2022, Jacobs and 46 other Republican Representatives voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.[40]

On July 29, 2022, Jacobs and one other Republican, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, joined the Democrats in voting for a bill banning assault weapons.[41]

In 2022, Jacobs was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.[42][43]

Committee assignments

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Caucus memberships

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Source:[46]

References

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  1. ^ "JACOBS, Chris (1966-)". Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress - Retro Member details. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Mahoney, Bill (June 3, 2022). "New York Rep. Chris Jacobs ends reelection bid following support for gun control". Politico. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  3. ^ Rey, Jay (October 31, 2018). "Chris Jacobs has edge in money, incumbency over Carima El-Behairy in State Senate race". The Buffalo News. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Sondel, Justin (October 12, 2016). "State GOP Hinges on Chris Jacobs". The Public. Buffalo NY. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  5. ^ Hoffman, Connor (June 19, 2020). "Jacobs, McMurray vie for 27th District seat". Lockport Union-Sun & Journal. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  6. ^ "NY Republican Chris Jacobs sworn in as newest House member". Star Tribune. Minneapolis MN. Associated Press. July 21, 2020. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020.
  7. ^ Heaney, Jim (September 22, 2012). "Interview: Chris Jacobs". Investigative Post. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  8. ^ Rivers, Tom (July 21, 2020). "Jacobs will be sworn in as congressman today". Orleans Hub.
  9. ^ a b c "Chris Jacobs". NYSenate.gov. New York Senate. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  10. ^ "Christopher L. Jacobs". nygop.org. New York Republican State Committee. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  11. ^ Benjamin, Liz (September 16, 2016). "Jacobs Dodges on Trump, Flanagan". State of Politics. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  12. ^ "2006 Election Results". New York State Board of Elections.
  13. ^ "Chris Jacobs Defeats Amber Small in 60th Senate District Race". TWC News. November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  14. ^ Chris Jacobs Defeats Amber Small in 60th Senate District Race, Spectrum News, TWC Staff, November 9, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  15. ^ "Our Campaigns - NY State Senate 60 Race - Nov 06, 2018". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  16. ^ "Chris Jacobs to be sworn in Tuesday". Lockport Union-Sun & Journal. July 21, 2020.
  17. ^ McCarthy, Robert J. (May 17, 2019). "Chris Jacobs calls Collins ineffective; will run against him in 2020". The Buffalo News.
  18. ^ Whalen, Ryan (May 17, 2019). "State Senator Chris Jacobs Is Running For New York's 27th Congressional Seat". State of Politics. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  19. ^ "Ex-Rep. Chris Collins Pleads Guilty in Insider Trading Case". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. October 1, 2019.
  20. ^ "June 2020 Special Election Results" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections.
  21. ^ McKinley, Jesse (June 24, 2020). "Republicans Retain House Seat in Special Election in Western N.Y." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  22. ^ "NY Republican Chris Jacobs sworn in as newest House member". AP NEWS. Associated Press. July 21, 2020.
  23. ^ Horvatits, Chris (June 24, 2020). "Parlato concedes in primary, but McMurray calls for every vote to be counted in NY-27 special election after Jacobs declares victory". WIVB-TV.
  24. ^ Sherwood, Julie (July 21, 2020). "McMurray supporters rally to win in November". Daily Messenger. Canandaigua NY.
  25. ^ "New York Election Results: 27th Congressional District". The New York Times. November 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020.
  26. ^ Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (January 7, 2021). "The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  27. ^ 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. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  28. ^ Ryan, Patrick (January 11, 2021). "Seven WNY lawmakers sign letter calling on Rep. Chris Jacobs to resign from Congress". WIVB-TV. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  29. ^ "JACOBS STATEMENT ON IMPEACHMENT VOTE". U.S. Congressman Chris Jacobs. January 13, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  30. ^ Foran, Clare; Diaz, Daniella; Grayer, Annie (February 4, 2021). "House votes to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from committee assignments". CNN. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  31. ^ LeBlanc, Paul (May 19, 2021). "Here are the 35 House Republicans who voted for the January 6 commission". CNN. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  32. ^ Everson, Zach (September 10, 2021). "Two More Lawmakers Apparently Violated Stock-Trade Rules". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  33. ^ Hall, Madison (September 12, 2022). "GOP Rep. Chris Jacobs just violated a federal conflict of interest stock-trading law for the second time". Business Insider. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  34. ^ Mendoza, Jordan (May 22, 2022). "Russia bans 963 Americans from the country including Biden, Harris, Zuckerberg. But not Trump". USA Today. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  35. ^ Burke, Minyvonne (May 28, 2022). "GOP Congressman, former NRA endorsee says he would support ban on assault weapons in aftermath of Buffalo, Uvalde". NBC News. Retrieved May 28, 2022 – via MSN.
  36. ^ Zremski, Jerry (May 27, 2022). "Jacobs proposes gun safety measures after Buffalo massacre: 'This has been a profoundly impactful event'". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  37. ^ "NRA-PVF | Grades | New York". nrapvf.org. NRA-PVF. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020.
  38. ^ "YOUR VOTE DEFENDS FREEDOM! – PLEASE VOTE CHRIS JACOBS FOR U.S. HOUSE!". nrapvf.org. NRA-PVF. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023.
  39. ^ Gans, Jared (May 28, 2022). "GOP congressman says he would support assault weapons ban". The Hill.
  40. ^ Schnell, Mychael (July 19, 2022). "These are the 47 House Republicans who voted for a bill protecting marriage equality". The Hill. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  41. ^ Lee, Ella (July 30, 2022). "Who are the 7 House members who broke with their party in voting on assault weapons ban?". USA Today. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  42. ^ "House passes antitrust bill that hikes M&A fees as larger efforts targeting tech have stalled". CNBC. September 29, 2022.
  43. ^ "H.R. 3843: Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022 -- House Vote #460 -- Sep 29, 2022".
  44. ^ "Committees and Caucuses". Representative Chris Jacobs. December 13, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  45. ^ "Jacobs appointed to House education and labor committee | The Batavian". www.thebatavian.com. March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  46. ^ "Committees and Caucuses". Representative Chris Jacobs. December 13, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  47. ^ "Homepage of Republican Governance Group". Republican Governance Group. December 14, 2019.
  48. ^ "MEMBERS". RMSP. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  49. ^ "Membership". Republican Study Committee. December 6, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by 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 Member of the New York Senate
from the 60th district
2017–2020 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 27th congressional district
2020-2023 		Constituency abolished
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative 		Succeeded byas Former US Representative
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