Gilda Jacobs is already gearing up to run for a state
House seat next year.

JULIE EDGAR SENIOR WRITER

ilda Jacobs doesn't like
term limits.
Yet she may ride them
all the way to Lansing in
1998, when Rep. David Gubow
falls victim to the political guil-
lotine. He is among 72 of 110
members of the House who can-
not run for re-election.
Ms. Jacobs, 48, the co-devel-
opment director at the Jewish As-
sociation for Residential Care for
14 years and an Oakland Coun-
ty commissioner, thought about
running for the 35th District seat
in 1984, but decided to.put the
idea on hold. Her children were
young, and her husband John
was struggling to build a law
practice.
At the time, Ms. Jacobs was
serving on the Huntington
Woods City Commission, to
which she was appointed in 1980.
She remained there until 1994,
leaving as mayor pro tem and
With the distinction of being the
commission's first woman mem-
ber.

G

.In 1994, Ms. Jacobs, who had
also directed then-state Sen.
Doug Ross's district office, ran
for a seat on the Oakland Coun-
ty Board of Commissioners and
won. She serves as chairperson
of the board's seven-member De-
mocratic Caucus.
But midway into her second
term, her aspirations for a
statewide office have been revived.
It's a good time to run, she
said.
"This is the best time I could
think about making such a ma-
jor change. I'm doing *a big fund-
raiser next month and I hope to
raise a big chunk of money this
year so I can concentrate on
knocking on doors next year."
Plus, she and her hi.thband
John, the president of Temple
Emanu-El in Oak Park, are
about to become "empty
nesters." Jessica Jacobs is grad-
uating from Berkley High this
year and is bound for Haverford
College in Philadelphia. Rachel
Jacobs is graduating from

wealth of informa-
tion."
Rep. Gubow could
not be reached for
comment.
With the loss of
Rep. Maxine Berman,
who declined to run
again last year, and
the imminent depar-
ture of Rep. Gubow
and Rep. Burton Le-
land of Detroit, Liz
Brater of Ann Arbor
will be the only Jew-
ish lawmaker left in
the state. And her
time is up in 2004.
The demographics
of the Legislature
haven't escaped Ms.
Jacobs.
"I think it's impor-
tant for all groups to
have representation.
It's not a reason I'm Gilda Jacobs: Lansing bound?
running, but it's im- •
portant the Legislature reflect needs to raise between $40,000
the population," Ms. Jacobs said. and $60,000 to run a serious cam-
Ms. Jacobs has no idea whether Paign.
"It's not like I've had this su-
she has any challengers for the
35th District seat, but term lim- per-ambitious political desire. I
its discourage many would-be can- thought it made sense. With
didates because they would be term limits, it's not like I was
saying I wanted to be a great
limited to three terms.
. But she has already estab- state legislator. I realized I could
lished a campaign office in Lans- effect a change in Lansing and
ing and is planning the May still do good things for people,"
fund-raiser. She believes she she said. ❑ .

PHOTO BY DANIEL LIPPITI

Capitol Aspirations

Swarthmore this year. The Ja-
cobs' beloved dog is suffering
from kidney failure.
The best reason of all to run is
to carry on the legacy of Rep.
Gubow, who will be forced by
term limits to leave the state
House. She calls him an "incred-
ible mentor."
"I'm very interested in mental
health issues, education and sub-
stance abuse issues, so I kind of
see myself focusing on those ar-
eas. David has historically been
involved in the first two issues
himself. In some sense, I'm tak-
ing over for him," Ms. Jacobs said.
She hopes to turn around a cri- •
sis caused by the closure of state
hospitals by Gov. John Engler by
assuring continuing services for
families with relatives who have
mental illness. Other areas of in-
terest are women's health and
special education.
Ms. Jacobs formerly taught
special education in the Madison
School District and serves on the
county's breast and cervical can-
cer advisory committee.
She said Rep. Gubow, who has
represented Berkley, Hunting-
ton Woods, Oak Park, Ferndale
and Pleasant Ridge for nearly 14
years, is throwing his support be-
hind her campaign.
"Obviously, the best endorse-
ment is the incumbent," she said.
"He and his office have been a

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