SAN DIEGO — I’ve been wavering over whom to back in the 53rd Congressional District. Sara Jacobs and Georgette Gomez are both liberal Democrats.
You might think that Jacobs, being a member of the Jewish community, might be more pro-Israel in her views than Gomez is, but through interviews and statements, I’ve concluded that Jacobs is closer to the J Street camp, whereas Gomez’s views are closer to those of AIPAC.
Translating that, I think Jacobs tends to be more outspoken in her opposition to the Netanyahu government than Gomez is, although Gomez, like many other Democrats, is a supporter of Palestinian rights and would like to see a two-state solution with a Jewish state and a Palestinian state living in peace side by side.
With only nuance separating them on Middle East issues, and practically no discernible differences on domestic issues, I’ve been watching the tenor of their two campaigns to help me in my deliberations.
There, I have to say, Sara Jacobs has been far more positive in her approach to the voters than Georgette Gomez. She touts her own accomplishments, emphasizes the joy she takes in listening to all points of view, and generally runs a positive campaign. Meanwhile, Gomez, who is generally an affable person, has also spoken about the many positives in her life. She is the president of the San Diego City Council, the first LGBTQ Latina to hold such a position, and has been an outspoken advocate for neighborhoods and environmental quality. I wish that Gomez’s campaign had left it there. However, more and more the Gomez campaign has taken to criticizing Jacobs’ ability to fund her campaign with her own money and that of her family. Jacobs is the granddaughter of Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs and wife Joan, who are major philanthropists in San Diego, and the daughter of Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs, who also are well known for their philanthropy.
When I think of the Jacobs’ family, I think of a family that helped rescue the San Diego Symphony from bankruptcy; a family that greatly contributed to the renovation of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Family Service headquarters on Balboa Avenue. Both agencies greatly benefit the public at large. I also think of the Jacobs as a family that has offered to help fund a vehicle diversion system at Balboa Park; a family that helped to create and underwrite the High Tech High School; and perhaps, most importantly, a family that has helped to provide jobs for thousands of San Diegans, both at Qualcomm and in the many companies that do business with Qualcomm.
The Jacobs family has been donating to Democratic candidates and Jewish causes for many years, including, I add proudly, some of the publication costs for the biography I wrote in 2005 about Louis Rose, San Diego’s first Jewish settler. Irwin Jacobs was not born a billionaire; with Andrew Viterbi, he developed Qualcomm into a company that has become a technology giant in the world of telecommunications. But to hear the Gomez campaign describe the Jacobs, you would get the idea that the family represents narrow special interests, somehow inimical to the working class.
Here’s a missive sent to us just today by Alex Obolensky, deputy campaign manager of Team Gomez. “It’s no secret that Georgette’s self-funded billionaire opponent has a lot more money to spend than our campaign. She has several offices, TV ads on the air, a fancy website — all the fixings of a well-funded campaign. But nothing can compare to a people powered campaign.”
Obolensky goes on to say,”With the progressive movement growing through all parts of the country, Georgette has the momentum to win this. It’s long overdue that we shift the Democratic party away from corporations and big businesses — it’s time for Democrats to move towards protecting the working class. From initiatives like Medicare-For-All, The Green New Deal, police reform, and investment in our communities, progressives have the bold ideas and solutions to bring our country forward and make it a better place to live for everyone.”
So, the implication, of course, is that because her family is wealthy, Sara Jacobs is opposed to “Medicare-For-All, the Green New Deal, police reform and investment in our communities.” But such an implication is far from the truth. In fact, Jacobs’ positions are incredibly similar to those of Gomez.
While I may have my differences on this or that issue with Sara Jacobs, I’m impressed that despite a stream of similar provocations she has remained positive in her campaigning. I sincerely believe that campaign tactics reflect the values of a candidate.
For that reason, San Diego Jewish World is today announcing its endorsement of Sara Jacobs for the congressional seat from which another member of our community, Congresswoman Susan Davis, is retiring. We hope that Georgette Gomez will find other, positive, ways to serve San Diegans.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor and co-publisher of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com