By Hank Russell
Delegates at the New York State Democratic Committee overwhelmingly reelected Jay S. Jacobs to be its chairperson for a seventh term. Jacobs beat out challenger Caitlin Ogden 81.7%-13.7%, with 4.6% abstaining.
According to his biography, Jacobs served as the Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee from 2009 to 2012, and returned to the post in 2019. He is the first-ever New York State Democratic Chair to hold the position twice in non-concurrent terms and won re-election by acclamation in 2024. Jacobs previously served as an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee (recommended by then-President Barack Obama) and continues to serve today as a member of the Democratic National Committee.
In addition, Jacobs serves as Nassau County Democratic Chairman, a position he has held since October 2001. Since becoming chairman, the voters of Nassau County have re-elected a Democratic majority in the county Legislature in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007, and have elected two Democratic county executives, two district attorneys, two county comptrollers, three town supervisors, and a county assessor. In 2005, Jacobs and the committee made history by helping to elect Kathleen Rice, who became the first-ever female DA in Nassau.
In 2017, Jacobs and the Nassau Democrats continued to make history in helping to elect the first female County Executive in Nassau County’s history, and the first Democratic Supervisor in the Town of Hempstead’s history. In 2018, the Nassau County Democratic Committee swept all five New York State Senate races in Nassau County, helping to switch the balance of power in the chamber from Republican to Democratic control. In doing so, they elected the first ever Iranian-American New York State Senator, and the first-ever Indian-American New York State Senator.
In 2024, Jacobs led the effort to win a special election in NY-04 to flip back the Congressional seat and would go on to flip three more seats across the state.
“I am honored to be re-elected as New York State Democratic Party Chairman and ready to build on the success we have made to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot,” Jacobs said. “We are a diverse and united party, and we have candidates all across the state who are standing up to Donald Trump’s attacks on our state and fighting for New York families. I am excited to continue working with the phenomenal leaders who are going to lead us to victory in November.”