Nancy Jacobson (born November 9, 1962[1]) is an American political activist. A former fundraiser for the Democratic Party, she later became founder and CEO of the centrist organization No Labels.[2]
Nancy Jacobson | |
|---|---|
 Jacobson in 2007 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 9, 1962 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent (2010–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (before 2010) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4[a] |
| Education | Syracuse University (BA) American University (MA) |
| Occupation | CEO of No Labels |
Early career
editJacobson was born in Miami and graduated from Syracuse University.[3] 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.[4]
She supported Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 1988,[5] and Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1991, and was the finance director of the 1992 Presidential Inaugural Committee.[6] She later served as finance chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC).[4]
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.[3] In 2007, Jacobson was named one of the 50 Most Powerful People in D.C. by GQ Magazine.[7] She has also been referred to as "one of the most powerful women in Washington."[8]
No Labels
editJacobson founded No Labels in 2010 with the stated goal of promoting bipartisanship.[9] The organization has put forth ideas that it claims will "put problem solving above politics",[10] 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.[11][12][13] A number of proposals supported by the group have been signed into law.[14][15][16] 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.[17][18] In connection with her work with No Labels, New York Times columnist David Brooks described her in 2016 as an "undeterrable" leader.[2]
No Labels has also been criticized of fostering a toxic environment by former employees, according to Politico.[19]
Personal and family
editJacobson is married to Mark Penn, President and Managing Partner of The Stagwell Group, former Democratic pollster and executive for Microsoft and Burson-Marsteller.[20] 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.[3]
Notes
edit- ^ 3 stepchildren
References
edit- ^ POLITICO Staff (November 9, 2018). "BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Nancy Jacobson, founder and CEO of No Labels". Politico. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ a b Brooks, David (November 29, 2016). "The Future of the American Center". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c Baer, Susan (August 1, 2006). "When Marriage and Politics Conflict". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on September 3, 2007.
- ^ a b Shane, Cari (December 14, 2010). "The Manufacturing of No Labels". HuffPost. Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ Keller, Emma Gilbey (July 13, 2009). "Q & A with Nancy Jacobson". Slate. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ "Key People- Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)". p2008.org. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ Naddaf, Raha and Greg Veis (September 2007). "The 50 Most Powerful People in D.C." [1] GQ. Retrieved May 19, 2009
- ^ "MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN WASHINGTON". Washingtonian. October 23, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "The Truth About No Labels | RealClearPolitics". www.realclearpolitics.com. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ Jordan, Chuck (December 6, 2018). "Setting the record straight about No Labels". The Hill. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "Nancy Jacobson | Rebuilding the Political Divide With Fewer Labels and More Conversations". donothing. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ "A Call to Revive America's Political Center | RealClearPolitics". www.realclearpolitics.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- ^ "Battleground Democrats make USMCA push amid impeachment furor". Politico. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- ^ Clift, Eleanor (April 11, 2015). "The Only Bipartisan Game in Town". The Daily Beast.
- ^ Yingling, Jennifer (February 25, 2014). "Working together to take care of our service men, women and returning vets". The Hill. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "The Democratic House wants to reform democracy. It's not a panacea — but it's a start". The Washington Post. January 3, 2019.
- ^ Higgins, David (June 9, 2021). "Bipartisan House caucus offers alternative infrastructure plan after Senate GOP talks collapse". Roll Call. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Jagoda, Naomi (July 6, 2021). "Problem Solvers Caucus backs bipartisan infrastructure deal". The Hill. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Lippman, Daniel (December 7, 2022). "Inside the turmoil roiling No Labels' unity ticket presidential campaign". POLITICO. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ TADENA, NATHALIE (June 17, 2015). "Microsoft's Mark Penn Forms New Digital Marketing Investment Group". The Wall Street Journal.