Hannah-Beth Jackson

Hannah-Beth Jackson is an American politician currently serving in the California State Senate. A Democrat, she represents the 19th Senate District, which encompasses Santa Barbara County and most of Ventura County.
Jackson ran for the 19th Senate District in 2008, but narrowly lost to Republican Tony Strickland. After Strickland chose not to pursue reelection to the State Senate in 2012 in order to mount an unsuccessful run for the U.S. House of Representatives, Jackson was elected to succeed him. She was re-elected in 2016 for a second term. Prior to her election to the State Senate, Jackson served in the California State Assembly from 1998-2004, representing the 35th Assembly District.
Jackson served as Chair of the California Legislative Women's Caucus from 2015 to 2016. She is also a member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. Jackson is a former prosecutor, the co-founder of two non-profit organizations, and also served as an adjunct professor at Antioch University.

Jackson is married to retired Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge George Eskin. She has a daughter, two stepchildren, and five grandchildren. The family has resided in the district for more than 35 years.

Hannah-Beth Jackson received her bachelor's degree in Government and Sociology from Scripps College. After receiving her bachelor's degree, she went on to law school at Boston University and received her Juris Doctor. She opened a law practice in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties that operated for 20 years.

Jackson served as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources and Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Coastal Protection. She served as Chair of the bipartisan Legislative Women's Caucus and was Chair of the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee from 1999-2002. She served on a number of standing committees including the Budget Committee, Judiciary Committee and the Higher Education Committee.

Awards and recognitions

Jackson was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Consumer Federation of California for her advocacy on behalf of consumers, particularly in the areas of health care and privacy rights. Jackson was also named "Legislator of the Year" by the Congress of California Seniors for advocacy against elder abuse and health care issues and by the California League of Conservation Voters for her focus on natural resources and public health. She was named "Legislator of the Year" by the National Organization for Women for advancing women's health issues and equal opportunity and by the Junior League of California for her work on domestic violence and issues affecting children. Californians Against Waste named her legislator of the year after the passage of her bills to do with pesticide use and the recycling of electronic-waste. Other awards include "Guardian of the Coast" from Vote the Coast, the "Outstanding Public Service Award" by the California School Employees Association and the Planned Parenthood "Giraffe award" - for sticking her neck out and helping others.

On October 18, 2011, Jackson announced that she would run for the California State Senate's 19th District seat. She was endorsed by the California Democratic Party, the Sierra Club, the California Teachers Association, SEIU State Council, the California League of Conservation Voters, and the California Democratic Council, along with over 90 additional endorsements. Jackson won the general election on November 6, 2012, and took the oath of office on December 3.

In 2013, Jackson introduced a bill to pre-register 15-year-olds to vote.