Nancy Jacobson
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{short description|American founder and CEO of political organization No Labels (born 1962)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Nancy Jacobson
| image = Nancy jacobson.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age |1962|11|09}}
| birth_place = Miami, Florida, U.S.
| party = Independent (2010–present)
| otherparty = Democratic (before 2010)
| spouse = {{marriage|Mark Penn|1999}}
| children = 4{{efn|3 stepchildren}}
| education = Syracuse University (BA)
American University (MA)
| occupation = CEO of No Labels
| caption = Jacobson in 2007
}}
Nancy Jacobson (born November 9, 1962) is an American political activist. A former fundraiser for the Democratic Party, she later became founder and CEO of the centrist organization No Labels.{{Cite news |last=Brooks |first=David |date=November 29, 2016 |title=The Future of the American Center |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/opinion/the-future-of-the-american-center.html?_r=0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307041954/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/opinion/the-future-of-the-american-center.html?_r=0 |archive-date=March 7, 2023}}
Early career
Jacobson was born in Miami, Florida, on November 9, 1962.{{Cite web |author=POLITICO Staff |date=November 9, 2018 |title=BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Nancy Jacobson, founder and CEO of No Labels |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/09/playbook-birthday-nancy-jacobson-978804 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202184414/https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/09/playbook-birthday-nancy-jacobson-978804 |archive-date=February 2, 2019 |access-date=December 7, 2022 |website=Politico |language=en}} She graduated from Syracuse University. Jacobson's first political organizing occurred as a student at Syracuse University, where she organized a fundraising event to support then-Senator Gary Hart's 1984 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.{{Cite web |last=Shane |first=Cari |date=December 14, 2010 |title=The Manufacturing of No Labels |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/cari-shane-parven/the-manufacturing-of-no-l_b_796181.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219005141/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/cari-shane-parven/the-manufacturing-of-no-l_b_796181.html |archive-date=December 19, 2010 |access-date=March 25, 2019 |website=HuffPost |language=en-US}}
She supported Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 1988,{{Cite web|url=https://slate.com/human-interest/2009/07/q-a-with-nancy-jacobson.html|title=Q & A with Nancy Jacobson|last=Keller|first=Emma Gilbey|date=July 13, 2009|website=Slate|language=en|access-date=March 25, 2019}} and Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1991, and was the finance director of the 1992 Presidential Inaugural Committee.{{Cite web|url=http://p2008.org/bayh/bayhorg.html|title=Key People- Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)|website=p2008.org|access-date=March 25, 2019}} She later served as finance chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC).
From 1995 through 2010, she was the national finance director for Sen. Evan Bayh. She oversaw his political and fundraising strategy during his 2008 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. In 2007, Jacobson was named one of the 50 Most Powerful People in D.C. by GQ Magazine.Naddaf, Raha and Greg Veis (September 2007). "The 50 Most Powerful People in D.C." [http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_5843&pageNum=11] GQ. Retrieved May 19, 2009 She has also been referred to as "one of the most powerful women in Washington."{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/10/02/most-powerful-women-in-washington-2023-abigail-spanberger-danita-johnson-tonia-wellons-cynthia-chavez-lamar/|date=October 23, 2023|language=en|website=Washingtonian|access-date=2024-02-06|title=MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN WASHINGTON}}
No Labels
Jacobson founded No Labels in 2010 with the stated goal of promoting bipartisanship.{{Cite web|url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/12/07/the_truth_about_no_labels_138856.html|title=The Truth About No Labels {{!}} RealClearPolitics|website=www.realclearpolitics.com|access-date=March 21, 2019}} The organization has put forth ideas that it claims will "put problem solving above politics",{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/420055-setting-the-record-straight-sbout-no-labels|title=Setting the record straight about No Labels|last=Jordan|first=Chuck|date=December 6, 2018|website=The Hill|language=en|access-date=March 21, 2019}} and purports to support centrist, moderate social and economic policies.
The No Labels group has been instrumental in the creation of the Problem Solvers Caucus.{{Cite web |title=Nancy Jacobson {{!}} Rebuilding the Political Divide With Fewer Labels and More Conversations |url=https://www.donothingbook.com/podcasts/nancy-jacobson-rebuilding-the-political-divide-with-fewer-labels-and-more-conversations/ |access-date=January 26, 2021 |website=donothing |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=A Call to Revive America's Political Center {{!}} RealClearPolitics |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/06/22/a_call_to_revive_americas_political_center_134248.html |access-date=December 20, 2020 |website=www.realclearpolitics.com}}{{Cite web |title=Battleground Democrats make USMCA push amid impeachment furor |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/14/battleground-democrats-usmca-push-071032 |access-date=December 20, 2020 |website=Politico |language=en}} A number of proposals supported by the group have been signed into law.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/04/11/the-only-bipartisan-game-in-town.html|title=The Only Bipartisan Game in Town|last=Clift|first=Eleanor|date=April 11, 2015|work=The Daily Beast}}{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/199172-working-together-to-take-care-of-our-service-men-and-women-and-returning|title=Working together to take care of our service men, women and returning vets|last=Yingling|first=Jennifer|date=February 25, 2014|website=The Hill|language=en|access-date=March 21, 2019}}{{Cite news|date=January 3, 2019|title=The Democratic House wants to reform democracy. It's not a panacea — but it's a start.|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-democratic-house-wants-to-reform-democracy-its-not-a-panacea--but-its-a-start/2019/01/03/54a0cb54-0fa0-11e9-8938-5898adc28fa2_story.html}} In 2021, the Problem Solvers Caucus, composed of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, released a "Building Bridges" blueprint for a bipartisan infrastructure deal. It was the first deal to be endorsed by Republicans and Democrats during that budget cycle.{{Cite web |last=Higgins |first=David |date=2021-06-09 |title=Bipartisan House caucus offers alternative infrastructure plan after Senate GOP talks collapse |url=https://rollcall.com/2021/06/09/bipartisan-house-caucus-offers-alternative-infrastructure-plan-after-senate-gop-talks-collapse/ |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=Roll Call |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Jagoda |first=Naomi |date=2021-07-06 |title=Problem Solvers Caucus backs bipartisan infrastructure deal |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/561671-problem-solvers-caucus-backs-bipartisan-infrastructure-deal/ |access-date=2024-02-19 |work=The Hill |language=en-US}} In connection with her work with No Labels, New York Times columnist David Brooks described her in 2016 as an "undeterrable" leader.
No Labels has also been criticized of fostering a toxic environment by former employees, according to Politico.{{Cite web |last=Lippman |first=Daniel |date=2022-12-07 |title=Inside the turmoil roiling No Labels' unity ticket presidential campaign |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/07/no-labels-unity-presidential-ticket-centrist-group-2024-00072712 |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}
Personal and family
Jacobson is married to Mark Penn, president and managing partner of The Stagwell Group, former Democratic pollster and executive for Microsoft and Burson-Marsteller.{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2015/06/17/microsofts-mark-penn-forms-new-digital-marketing-investment-group/|title=Microsoft's Mark Penn Forms New Digital Marketing Investment Group|last=TADENA|first=NATHALIE|date=June 17, 2015|work=The Wall Street Journal}} The couple met in 1996 when Evan Bayh, then governor of Indiana, introduced them at a Democratic Leadership Council event. They married in 1999. They have four children.{{cite news |last=Baer |first=Susan |date=August 1, 2006 |title=When Marriage and Politics Conflict |work=Washingtonian |url=http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/1705.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903213752/http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/1705.html |archive-date=September 3, 2007}}
Notes
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References
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