Nicholas Jacobson
Democrat
What is one life experience you have that voters should know about?
I know what it is like to be different. I grew up as one of three Jews in my grade at school, and most times in my life, I’ve been the only Jewish person in the room. My great grandparents came to the United States because they had to leave their homes–Germany, Russia, Ukraine. I have always lived with the awareness of this history, and occasionally been reminded of my own difference. I once left services at the synagogue to find a swastika drawn on a congregant’s car in the parking lot. We still have armed guards at important holidays. So I will always stand on the side of people singled out, left behind, excluded or forgotten. It is central to my identity and drive. But so, too, will I stand for the community in which I grew up–one to which I have always belonged, one to which every resident of the 85th District belongs, whatever might set each of us apart. I believe in our strength, our unity, and our capacity to overcome whatever challenges life throws our way. And I’ll be proud to go to Harrisburg to fight for us all.
What sets you apart from other candidates?
I’m 23 years old, Lewisburg High School Class of ‘19 and Yale Class of ‘23, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. I got my first job in Harrisburg when I was 17, interning for the legal counsel in the Department of the Auditor General, and have since worked for the PA Department of Health, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, and across the private sector in policy design and innovation. As a young man, I know that the decisions our government makes today will impact my life and future generations’ lives for the many decades to come. And as your representative, I will go to work every day to fight the real fights for our district, commonwealth, and collective future.
How do you plan to work across ideological lines to achieve shared goals?
I believe that politicians use partisanship as an excuse for laziness. We don’t elect politicians to tell us who to blame for the challenges we face. We elect them to get to work. I am proud to have worked on issues from keeping emergency rooms open across rural PA to installing recycling bins in my hometown to keeping victims of domestic violence safe from armed perpetrators–all in cooperation with Republicans, Democrats, and many other people. I am a proud Democrat, but most of the people I’ve worked with in my life are Republicans. The issues that we face in Central PA transcend party: protecting our local public schools, expanding internet access, accessing healthcare services. I will never let a letter at the end of someone’s name define my relationship to that person or my willingness to work with them to get things done.
What would be your top three policy priorities in office?
Expand Broadband Access: In the 21st century, internet is not a privilege. It is essential for everything from economic opportunity to healthcare to education. Our district is one of the poorest-served districts in the state, which has consequences for our kids’ education, our senior citizens’ healthcare, and our local businesses. Pennsylvania is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on broadband, and I’ll fight to make sure the 85th District gets its fair share.
Public Education: I will fight to restore state funding of our local public schools–which are essential to the future of our community. Furthermore, all schools in Pennsylvania that receive public funding should be held accountable for their spending of taxpayer dollars–including charter and cyber charter schools.
Health Care: Everyone in our district–from newborn infants to retired people–deserves access to the health care they need at prices they can afford. Investing in healthcare workers on the front line of serving our community, supporting our volunteer fire companies, and expanding health insurance coverage are three of my priorities.
The Committee of Seventy has partnered with the Carter Center to promote the Candidate Principles for Trusted Elections (www.principledcandidates.org) to improve the voting process, encourage honest leadership, and promote civic engagement. Do you support the Candidate Principles?
I absolutely support the Candidate Principles. We must continue to uphold our fair and secure elections process to ensure all voices are heard. I denounce all forms of voter suppression and intimidation, and will work to make voting a more equitable process for all if elected.
