In 1998, Jacobs ran for a seat on the Broward County Commission from District 2, challenging incumbent Commissioner Sylvia Poitier in the Democratic Party primary.

Later in 2013, the White House asked Jacobs to meet President Barack Obama and to be a part of his address on National Climate Change Policy at Georgetown University.

[15] Jacobs was a longtime advocate of light rail and successfully fought for the passage of Broward's first streetcar, The WAVE, and Complete Streets, which added bicycle and pedestrian-friendly urban design to county roads.

Jacobs worked to expand affordable housing, revitalize neighborhoods, encourage sustainable development and was an advocate for making solar energy a viable option for homeowners.

She campaigned as "a consensus builder" and emphasized her ability to work with others to enact public policy while maintaining her core values of protecting reproductive rights and marriage equality.

She criticized her opponent, Lois Frankel, the former mayor of West Palm Beach and the former Minority Leader of the Florida House of Representatives, calling her a "divisive insider" and a "pay to play Tallahassee politician.

"[17] During the campaign, she earned the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union, which praised her for having a "proven record advocating for good family-sustaining jobs, improved public transportation and smart energy independence."

She also was endorsed by The Palm Beach Post, which urged voters to "make Congress work" by electing people with Jacobs' "temperament," and complimented her "experience in local and regional issues that also need to be addressed knowledgeably in Washington.

[21] In 2010, Jacobs was invited to participate in a media event with several congressional members in Washington, D.C., to encourage Congress to pass the America's Commitment to Clean Water Act.

[27] She was the lead in bringing forward Broward County's first streetcar project, the Wave, which received a line-item mention in President Obama's 2014 proposed budget.