Amber Ivey

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Amber Ivey

Independent

Education

Bachelor's

Old Dominion University, 2002

Graduate

University of Maryland, College Park, 2014

Law

District of Columbia School of Law, 2019

Personal

Birthplace

Bethesda, Md.

Religion

Non-Denominational

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

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Amber Ivey (independent) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Maryland's 7th Congressional District. She was disqualified from the general election scheduled on November 3, 2020.

Ivey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Amber Ivey was born in Bethesda, Maryland. She earned an undergraduate degree from Old Dominion University in May 2002, a graduate degree from the University of Maryland College Park in May 2014, and a law degree from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law in May 2019. Ivey has been affiliated with the National Urban League. Her professional experience includes working at the following organizations:

• Pew Charitable Trusts
  • Manager, Government Performance, Civil Legal System Modernization (September 2018-February 2019)
  • Officer, Government Performance, Civil Legal System Modernization (March 2018-September 2018)
  • Senior Associate, Data as a Strategic Asset (January 2016-March 2018)
• State of Maryland
  • Policy Analyst, Governor's Office of Performance Improvement (October 2015-December 2015)
  • StateStat Analyst, StateStat (January 2014-October 2015)
  • Secretary's Fellow (August 2013-December 2013)
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
  • Supported Employment Policy Intern (May 2013-August 2013)
• Target Corporation
  • Executive Team Leader (May 2005-May 2011)

Elections

2020

See also: Maryland's 7th Congressional District election, 2020

Maryland's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)

Maryland's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Maryland District 7

Incumbent Kweisi Mfume defeated Kim Klacik, Charles Smith, and Ray Bly in the general election for U.S. House Maryland District 7 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kweisi Mfume (D)	71.6	237,084
		Kim Klacik (R)	28.0	92,825
		Charles Smith (D) (Write-in)	0.0	21
		Ray Bly (R) (Write-in)	0.0	16
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	1,052

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 330,998
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Gary Schuman (Independent)
• Amber Ivey (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kweisi Mfume	74.3	113,061
		Maya Rockeymoore Cummings	10.0	15,208
		Jill Carter	8.7	13,237
	Submit photo	Alicia Brown	1.2	1,841
	Submit photo	Charles Stokes	0.9	1,356
		T. Dan Baker	0.7	1,141
		Jay Jalisi	0.7	1,056
		Harry Spikes	0.7	1,040
		Saafir Rabb	0.6	948
		Mark Gosnell	0.5	765
	Submit photo	Darryl Gonzalez	0.3	501
		Jeffrey Woodard	0.2	368
		Gary Schuman	0.2	344
	Submit photo	Michael Howard Jr.	0.2	327
	Submit photo	Jermyn Michael Davidson	0.2	298
	Submit photo	Dan Hiegel	0.1	211
		Charles Smith	0.1	189
	Submit photo	Matko Lee Chullin III	0.1	187
		Adrian Petrus	0.1	170

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 152,248
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Terri L. Hill (D)
• Brian Britcher (D)
• F. Michael Higginbotham (D)
• Talmadge Branch (D)
• Leslie Grant (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 7 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kim Klacik	68.8	16,465
		Elizabeth Matory	14.2	3,401
		William Newton	5.3	1,271
		Ray Bly	5.2	1,234
	Submit photo	Brian Brown	4.7	1,134
	Submit photo	M.J. Madwolf	1.8	442

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 23,947
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Christopher Anderson (R)
• Mekkah Mohammed (R)
• Reba Hawkins (R)

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Amber Ivey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ivey's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Amber Ivey is a government performance professional who has spent years working with Democrats and Republicans to make government work better for the people of Maryland and in states across America. Most recently, Amber managed a team at the Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew) that assisted states and counties in streamlining their business processes and launching technological tools, like online courts, to modernize and improve access to the legal system. Amber also led the data collection of a first-of-its-kind research study on how all 50 states and the District of Columbia use data to make decisions. Before Pew, Amber worked for Maryland StateStat-a performance-measurement and management office created by former Governor Martin O'Malley (D). Here she used data to help improve and drive policy and agency decision making. Following the transition to Governor Larry Hogan's (R) administration, Amber aided in restructuring StateStat to operate under the Governor's Office of Performance Improvement. Before joining the State of Maryland, Amber was a logistics manager for a Fortune 50 company where she used data to drive efficiency, productivity, and profits. She switched from private to the public sector to use her skills in service of government efficiency. She recently obtained her law degree and is excited to serve at the intersection of public policy, technology, data, and law. Amber works to make the government more efficient and puts people and problem solving above politics.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• People say running as an Independent is a wasted vote. But what has your vote done for you lately? Amber is committed to bringing her skills and experience to Washington to make Congress work for residents of Maryland's 7th District. Amber's experience in the private, public, and non-governmental sectors has equipped her with the skills to see policy problems from multiple angles. She understands how to promote both innovation and ethics, encourage people-focused solutions for the majority and the minority, and support data as a strategic asset while also recognizing that each data point is more than information but an actual life.
• Amber still believes in the American Dream for all Americans, but she is also realistic about how our rapidly changing economy will reshape that dream. Although her parents were able to transition their family of six from generational poverty in the south to the middle class after serving a combined 22 years in the United States Armed Forces, today's families face different challenges. As an individual living with multiple sclerosis, she understands the consequences that families face when they cannot access affordable and quality health care. As a professional who helps states use data and technology to improve government, she understands that the skills of today alone will not help us thrive in a technology-driven job market.
• Amber is running as an Independent because she is discouraged by the partisan politics that keep members of Congress from getting things done. Instead of solving today's problems and preparing for the unknown challenges of the future, Washington often dissolves into partisan bickering. As a collaborator, who oversaw and ensured the successful cooperation of various (non-profits, public, and private sectors) stakeholders, she understands the importance of working together to solve complex issues. As your representative, she will use her experience and skills to ensure that Marylanders of District 7 are ready to compete in Future America.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Future of Families - Families and household structures are evolving. One study estimates that more than four-in-ten Americans believe that the average family's standard of living will decline over the next 30 years. Amber plans to focus on policies that improve health, safety, and quality of life for children, families, and veterans, including affordable healthcare and gainful employment.

Future of Work - The economy is changing rapidly. Some experts forecast 38.6 percent of current full-time positions in the United States will be automated by technology as early as 2030. Amber plans to promote policies that ensure Americans have the education and training needed to compete in a changing economy. She also plans to support policies that address opportunities and possible disruptions presented by the rapid growth of technology, including the creation of new jobs and reducing harm caused by technology.

Future of Connected Communities - Communities are changing and will be more interconnected and complex. Some studies show that 3 out of 10 U.S. households or as many as 162 million Americans do not have access to high-speed internet. Amber is passionate about policies for rural, suburban, and urban communities to succeed with both physical and and technological infrastructure, including transit and access to high speed internet. She also cares about communities and every level of government working together to support thriving and connected communities.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Through my firsthand work with Democrats, Republicans, state, and local governments, I understand that to solve complex problems, we must find common ground to work together across party and organizational lines. Marylanders of District 7 deserve a representative that puts party aside and makes people a priority.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

In the last decade, Congress has enacted a fewer percentage of laws than it has since the beginning of the 80s. The data shows Congress is not working to its full potential. Partisan paralysis has led both Democrats and Republicans in Congress to build walls instead of bridges. Party rhetoric is dividing our country at the cost of solving the problems that our communities face now and the problems threatening our future. The job of elected officials is to work together to prepare the people for a rapidly changing economy.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event that I can remember was the fall and demolition of the Berlin Wall. I was eight when my pregnant mother and younger brother and sister flew across the Atlantic Ocean to meet my father in Germany. We moved to my father's duty station in Stuttgart, Germany, one year after the complete demolition of the Berlin Wall. I remember a portion of the military base that we lived on being given back to the German government due to the withdrawal of the United States. Our base no longer had a security fence, and we could easily wander from the military housing to the vineyards across the street. I remember having a sense that something massive was occurring in Germany but not fully understanding the gravity of the event. As I matured as a youth, I realized what had happened in the country, and it made me understand what can occur when people are divided. As an adult, I look at Germany and see the strength that arises when people unify.

What is your favorite book? Why?

There are too many amazing books for me to choose a favorite. However, the book I read most recently was A Declaration of Independents by Greg Orman. This book is a good reminder of how the founders built our political system to have checks and balances to limit power but not to stop Washington from working. We can find common ground to get things done.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The economy is changing faster than we imagined. Some experts forecast 38.6 percent of current full-time positions in the United States will be automated by technology as early as 2030. We are in a revolution, and we can either let it happen to us or reap the benefits of this change. I have witnessed first-hand how data and technology are not only changing governments but also changing the lives of individuals and, ultimately, the economy. Many of our elected leaders have ignored the positive and potentially negative impacts that data and technology will have on our future. We can no longer look at jobs and education the same. We are in a gig economy, and we have to think about skills differently in this economy and ensure people are life-long learners with the skills they need to compete in a world that is more complex and globalized. Many of today's job skills will be irrelevant in the next decade. I want to focus on ensuring that Maryland's 7th District residents are equipped with the training and skills required to compete in a Future America.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

According to a Gallup poll, as of February 2020, 74 percent of Americans disapprove of the way that Congress is doing its job. House of Representative elections happen every two years compared to the Senate, which occurs every six years. The framers of the Constitution felt that frequent elections would cause House members to have more interaction with and be more responsive to their constituents by having them return home to run for election every other year. However, look at how many congresspeople have been in Congress for decades, often running unopposed. Being a member of the House of Representatives was never meant to be a lifelong career. Many of our elected officials make decisions based on what will get them re-elected versus what is best for the people. The moment you are elected to Congress, you have to start running for your next election. I think two years is the right term length, but I think it also encourages a focus on elections versus policies.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I remember volunteering in my district with the Greater Baltimore Urban League's Saturday Leadership Program, which helps encourage academic success for city and county youth. One day during a workshop with some of the students, a young girl began to share her experience from the prior week where she was doing homework, and there were gunshots nearby. It saddened me that life experiences from block to block differed substantially for our most valuable asset, our youth. The citizens of Maryland's 7th Congressional District may live in the same voting block. Still, whether you live in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, or Howard County, you may face very different issues than your fellow Marylanders in other jurisdictions. To ensure that our district thrives in the future, we must work together to advance the issues that impact us all, such as families, communities, and our economy.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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Footnotes

[show]

Maryland's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Angela Alsobrooks (D)

Chris Hollen (D)

Representatives

District 1

Andrew Harris (R)

District 2

John Olszewski (D)

District 3

Sarah Elfreth (D)

District 4

Glenn Ivey (D)

District 5

Steny Hoyer (D)

District 6

April McClain-Delaney (D)

District 7

Kweisi Mfume (D)

District 8

Jamie Raskin (D)

Democratic Party (9)

Republican Party (1)