Jennifer Ambler

Jennifer Ambler was born in Fort Myers, Florida. She earned a high school diploma from Fort Myers High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in 2005, and a degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. Her career experience includes working in financial services as a personal tax preparer and as an educator.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a small business owner and political satirist in Forsyth County, Georgia, and an active member of the Forsyth Dems. I grew up in Florida, went to UF earning a degree in Political Science and Economics, spent time as a teacher in Philadelphia with Teach for America, then moved to NYC to pursue a performing career. I moved to GA in 2020. I am different than the average candidate as I am a renter, gig worker, have lived in 4 different states, and get health insurance on the ACA Marketplace. I own a small tax preparation company and thus I am quite familiar with federal and state tax policies and how they affect ordinary people.

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?

Affordable Accessible Healthcare - GA must expand Medicaid to shore up the crumbling healthcare system and stabilize premiums for everyone. GA must repeal the 6 week abortion ban and return women's healthcare to women and their doctors. GA must ensure that insurance companies are paying for care and not fleecing Georgians.Smart Growth - GA is growing and that is not something we can stop but it is something we can manage. We need to be funding schools, transportation infrastructure, and affordable housing to improve the quality of life in GA. We also need to be planning long term for the population growth of the state instead of just reacting and always behind while people suffer in traffic, overcrowded schools, and soaring home prices.Good Government - The GA government should serve the people and be accessible to them. We need to stop corruption and self-dealing, draw fair districts, and ensure people have every opportunity to vote for good people to represent them. We need to end costly and low turnout runoff elections and institute Ranked Choice voting. We need a representative that is present in the community and not always looking to move up to the next office.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Healthcare, reproductive rights, good voting systems, fair wages, fair tax policy, affordable housing, public education, criminal justice reform and gun safety, and climate change.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, empathy, a willingness to hear out all sides of an issue.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

GA WIN List, Moms Demand Action, 50501

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a small business owner and political satirist in Forsyth County, Georgia, and an active member of the Forsyth Dems. I grew up in Florida, went to UF earning a degree in Political Science and Economics, spent time as a teacher in Philadelphia with Teach for America, then moved to NYC to pursue a performing career. I moved to GA in 2020. I am different than the average candidate as I am a renter, gig worker, have lived in 4 different states, and get health insurance on the ACA Marketplace. I own a small tax preparation company and thus I am quite familiar with federal and state tax policies and how they affect ordinary people.

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?

Women have the right to bodily autonomy and choice. I will fight to reinstate Roe v Wade as the law in Georgia.I will be a vote to expand Medicaid in Georgia. GA currently ranks 2nd in the percent of uninsured people in the state, and our income tax dollars are going to pay for health insurance in all of the other states that have taken the Medicaid expansion while our population doesn't benefit. Not to mention both urban and rural hospitals are closing in the face of the costs of treating the uninsured, leaving all of us with fewer health care resources. There is no reason not to take the Federal money to better our state.The right to vote is sacred in the United States. Republicans in GA keep chipping away at it bit by bit, allowing voter challenges, purging the rolls, making it harder to get an absentee ballot, and allowing long lines at polling stations. In addition, they gerrymander our districts to keep themselves in power despite the increasing changes in the state's population making it tilt towards a 50/50 split. This cannot be allowed to continue. We deserve to freely vote for people who will fully represent us.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Reproductive rights, health care, voting rights and fair voting systems, labor rights and minimum wage, public education, access to higher education, housing costs, fighting climate change, reforming the justice system to stop crime at the root, a robust social safety net, gun safety, tax policy, and public transportation.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to Elizabeth Warren. She didn't get started in politics until fairly late in life, but once she did she spent all her time fighting for those being treated unfairly by the banking system, and the political system in general. She operates with very little ego - if a policy she champions gets passed, it doesn't matter to her how or who gets the credit, what is important is implementing good policy.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

A book that had a large effect on me was Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich. I also appreciate looking at situations with data as portrayed in Freakonomics by Dubner and Levitt (even if that book turned out to have issues later, I appreciate the philosophy) and in The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver. And like any good early 2000's Democrat, I loved The West Wing.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The willingness to listen to experts on an issue, to consider the impact of any policy on the most vulnerable, and the judgement to know when to compromise and when to die on a hill.

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

I have a lot of varied life experiences and I didn't follow a traditional path in many ways. I have a strong moral center that guides my political beliefs, but I am open to being persuaded with data and try to keep an open mind. I am also a pragmatist, preferring to never let perfect be the enemy of good.

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

Always vote for the policies in the best interests of all Georgians, and work with people on both sides to find common ground on good policy and work to enact it. Listen to the concerns of constituents and actively seek the perspective of those who are more disconnected from the political process rather than only hearing out the powerful.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A higher quality of life for vulnerable Georgians, and a GA where people trust in the security of their fundamental rights to vote and reproductive choice.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Pride and Prejudice - not only do I love period romance, its a wonderful example of people being willing to change their minds when they get new information.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Hermione Granger, super smart, magical, and also saves the world. Not to mention cares about house elves.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

By taking a non-traditional route, I often felt like I was behind my peers in accomplishments, and worried I wasn't doing enough with my life. I have learned that all experience is valuable and everyone is on their own journey.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The legislature should drive policy, but the governor being charged with implementation should have input and provide guidance. The legislature can delegate certain authority to the governor in situations where it makes sense to have one person making decisions, but that should be limited and the 2 branches should share power.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Handling the growth in the state sustainably - increasing housing, improving education and health care access, creating sustainable transportation systems. Engaging in culture wars stops the legislature from dealing with these issues.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, but everyone has to start somewhere, and the state legislature is an excellent starting point for people looking towards state-wide or federal office.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Definitely. Georgia will continue to be a closely divided state for the foreseeable future, so there is no point in making plans that require one party to be in charge with no input from the other. We all need to coexist, so it is important to build trust with each other.

Both sitting legislators 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?

The stories of women being denied care while having miscarriages or otherwise health-threatening pregnancies weighs very heavily on me. I have also been moved by stories of people with serious health conditions who were only able to get treatment thanks to Medicaid, including members of my own family.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

They should be used very sparingly and only in true emergencies. The only instance I can think of in recent years is the Covid 19 pandemic.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

A bill to repeal the 6 week abortion ban. Abortion should be legal with no impediments through the 2nd trimester, and after that any limitations should be written with the help of doctors to ensure there are no barriers to pregnant women receiving necessary care.

What committees interest you?

Appropriations, Banks and Banking, Creative Arts and Entertainment, Education, Ethics, Governmental Affairs, Health, Higher Education, Human Relations and Aging, Industry and Labor, Insurance, Judiciary, Judiciary Non-Civil, Juvenile Justice, MARTOC, Natural Resources and Environment, Public Health, Reapportionment and Redistricting, Special Committee on Healthcare, Technology and Infrastructure Innovation, Transportation, Ways and Means.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Whenever possible, the government and campaigns should be as transparent as possible. Voters have a right to know who is funding campaigns, who is meeting with their elected officials, and where their tax dollars are going. The only exceptions would be conferences between legislators on thorny issues, as I understand sometimes the only way to solve intractable and controversial problems is to ensure anonymity in discussions and to speak with one voice to the ultimate legislative solution.

Would a state ballot initiative process be good or bad for your state?

It would be good with high barriers. GA currently has basically no ballot process to supersede the legislature, but we do not want to follow the example of states that have dozens of ballot questions each year. I believe we could find a happy medium.