Judy Jacobson
Judy Jacobson (February 26, 1939 – June 20, 2019) was 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. On February 26, 1939, Jacobson was born in South Bend, Indiana. Education. Jacobson attended and studied social work at the University of Wisconsin. In 1995, Jacobson earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Montana Technological University. Career. In 1981, Jacobson served in the Montana Senate District 41. On January 12, 1996, Jacobson was announced as  the running mate of Chet Blaylock for the 1996 Montana gubernatorial election. However, on October 23, 1996, Blaylock died of a heart attack, and the Montana Democratic Party selected his running mate, Jacobson, to replace him as the gubernatorial nominee, and she therefore appeared on the ballot as both the gubernatorial nominee and the lieutenant gubernatorial nominee. Ultimately, however, Marc Racicot was able to defeat Jacobson in a landslide to win re-election to his second and final term as governor. In 2000, Jacobson became the first woman Chief Executive of Butte-Silver Bow in Montana. Personal life. Jacobson's  husband is John Jacobson, a physician. In 1973, Jacobson and her family moved to Butte, Montana. Jacobson has three children. On June 20, 2019, Jacobson died in Butte, Montana. She was 80 years old.