{{Short description|American author and politician (1939–2019)}} {{distinguish|Senator Jacobson (disambiguation){{!}}Senator Jacobson}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Judy Jacobson |state_senate = Montana |district = 42nd |term_start = January 1981 |term_end = January 1997 |birth_date = {{birth date|1939|2|26}} |birth_place = South Bend, Indiana, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2019|6|20|1939|2|26}} |death_place = Butte, Montana, U.S. |party = Democratic |spouse = John Jacobson |children = 3 |education = University of Wisconsin, Madison (attended)<br>Montana Technological University (BS) }} '''Judy Jacobson''' (February 26, 1939 – June 20, 2019) was an American author and politician who served as a Democratic member of the Montana Legislature. She was elected to Montana State Senate District 42 and served from 1981 to 1996, and was the first female Senator serving Silver Bow County.
==Early life and education == On February 26, 1939, Jacobson was born in South Bend, Indiana.<ref name="mtstandard_jacobson2019"/><ref name="votesmart_jacobson"/> Jacobson attended and studied social work at the University of Wisconsin. In 1995, Jacobson earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Montana Technological University.<ref name="mtstandard_jacobson2019"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Foote |first1=Rick |title=Butte's first woman senator makes plans |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/349924724 |accessdate=March 11, 2019 |work=Montana Standard |date=December 17, 1980}}</ref>
== Career == In 1981, Jacobson served in the Montana Senate District 41.<ref name="mtstandard_jacobson2019"/><ref name="votesmart_jacobson">{{cite web |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/1667/judy-jacobson |title=Judy Jacobson's Biography |publisher=Vote Smart |accessdate=September 19, 2020}}</ref>
On January 12, 1996, Jacobson was announced as the running mate of Chet Blaylock for the 1996 Montana gubernatorial election.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Anez |first1=Bob |title=Jacobson on the ticket |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/394090127 |accessdate=March 11, 2019 |work=Independent-Record |date=January 13, 1996}}</ref> However, on October 23, 1996, Blaylock died of a heart attack, and the Montana Democratic Party selected Jacobson as his replacement, therefore becoming both the gubernatorial nominee and the lieutenant gubernatorial nominee.<ref name="Blaylock">{{cite web|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/oct/29/demos-select-jacobson-to-run-for-governor/|title=Dems Select Jacobson To Run For Governor|date=October 29, 1996|accessdate=July 5, 2014|work=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/24/us/montana-candidate-dies-before-debate.html | title=Montana Candidate Dies Before Debate | newspaper=The New York Times | date=October 24, 1996 }}</ref> Winning 79.2% of the vote,<ref name="rtrved2022srcGFTdt2015">{{cite web | url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/opinion/2015/08/23/history-bodes-bullock-re-election/32242731/ | title=History bodes well for Bullock re-election }}</ref> ultimately, however, Marc Racicot was able to defeat Jacobson in a landslide to win re-election to his second<ref name="rtrved2022srcWAPOdt1996">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1996/11/07/the-rocky-mountains/bc9c63ba-c3b0-4d86-b332-d3646658961f/ |title=THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS |date=November 7, 1996 |newspaper=The Washington Post |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}}</ref> and final term as governor.
In 2000, Jacobson became the first woman Chief Executive of Butte-Silver Bow in Montana.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rampart-solutions.com/restoring-butte-blog/2019/7/3/remembering-judy-jacobson |title=Remembering Judy Jacobson |date=July 3, 2019 |website=rampart-solutions.com |accessdate=September 19, 2020}}</ref>
== Works == * 1997 Montana Almanc. Co-author with Andrea Merrill. Published by Falcon Press Publishing.<ref name="mtstandard_jacobson2019"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Montana-Almanac-Andrea-Merrill-Judy-Jacobson/833672720/bd |title=Montana Almanac |website=abebooks.com |accessdate=September 19, 2020}}</ref>
== Personal life == Jacobson's husband was John Jacobson, a physician. In 1973, Jacobson and her family moved to Butte, Montana. Jacobson had three children.<ref name="mtstandard_jacobson2019"/><ref name="votesmart_jacobson"/> On June 20, 2019, Jacobson died in Butte at 80 years of age.<ref name="mtstandard_jacobson2019">{{cite web |url=https://mtstandard.com/news/local/judy-jacobson-former-state-senator-and-butte-silver-bow-chief/article_2430ead9-b7be-5895-91a0-fb989f9caef3.html |title=Judy Jacobson, former state senator and Butte-Silver Bow chief executive, dies |website=mtstandard.com |first=David |last=McCumber |date=June 22, 2019 |accessdate=September 19, 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=43279 Judy Jacobson at ourcampaigns.com]
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Chet Blaylock<br>Deceased}} {{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Governor of Montana|years=1996}} {{s-aft|after=Mark O'Keefe}} {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobson, Judy}} Category:1939 births Category:2019 deaths Category:20th-century American women politicians Category:20th-century members of the Montana Legislature Category:Candidates in the 1996 United States elections Category:Democratic Party Montana state senators Category:Politicians from South Bend, Indiana Category:University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work alumni Category:Women state legislators in Montana
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