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Amy Kennedy

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Amy Kennedy
Personal details
Born
Amy Savell

(1978-11-20) November 20, 1978 (age 45)
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
  • Mark Petitgout
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2003; div. 2010)​
  • ​
    (m. 2011)​
Children5
EducationPennsylvania State University (BS)
Nova Southeastern University (MS)
WebsiteCampaign website

Amy Kennedy (née Savell; born November 20, 1978)[1] is an American educator, mental health advocate, and politician from the state of New Jersey. She is the Democratic Party nominee in the 2020 elections seeking to represent New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.

Early life and education

Amy Kennedy was born Amy Savell in Atlantic City, New Jersey and raised in Pleasantville and Absecon.[2] Kennedy's parents, Leni and Jerry Savell, are both teachers. Jerry also served as a freeholder for Atlantic County, New Jersey, and was a city council member in both Absecon and Pleasantville.[3][4] She graduated in 1997 from Holy Spirit High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Pennsylvania State University.[5][6] She later earned a Master of Science in environmental education from Nova Southeastern University.[7]

Career

Kennedy taught middle school history at Northfield Community Schools.[4] She later became an education director of The Kennedy Forum, a mental health advocacy group founded by her husband.[8]

Politics

In the 2020 elections, Kennedy ran for the Democratic Party nomination for New Jersey's 2nd congressional district.[9] On July 7, 2020, she defeated university professor Brigid Callahan Harrison and former congressional aide Will Cunningham to win the party's nomination. Kennedy's victory was particularly notable as an "upset victory" because Harrison had been supported by George Norcross, a powerful figure in New Jersey politics.[10][11] As of July 9, 2020, vote totals showed Kennedy winning in all eight counties in the congressional district.[12] She will face Republican incumbent Jeff Van Drew in the general election.[13]

According to The Washington Post, Kennedy is running as an "anti-establishment insurgent trying to ride the recent energy of grass-roots activists", and is backed by Martin Luther King III, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.[14] Her campaign focused on mental health issues and education. She is supportive of expanding the Affordable Care Act.[15]

Kennedy raised $1.4 million for her primary campaign, including a $500,000 personal loan of her own money.[16]

In August 3, 2020 she received the endorsement of former President Barack Obama.[17][18]

Personal life

Kennedy met Mark Petitgout in college, and they married in 2003. During college, Petitgout played football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and is the brother of former NFL offensive tackle Luke Petitgout. They lived in Linwood, New Jersey and had one daughter before divorcing in early 2010.[4]

Kennedy met former United States congressman Patrick J. Kennedy at a mental health forum in Atlantic City in 2010.[4][12] They married in July 2011 at the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, with Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer officiating.[19][20] They live in Absecon, New Jersey.[21] Kennedy has four children from her second marriage.[22]

References

  1. ^ Tully, Tracey (July 7, 2020). "A Kennedy Wins N.J. Primary to Take on Trump Loyalist". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  2. ^ "Meet Amy". Amy Kennedy for Congress. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  3. ^ "Kennedy, Harrison comes from political families". New Jersey Globe. March 8, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d "Patrick Kennedy and the Jersey Girl". February 20, 2012.
  5. ^ Pizarro, Max (January 23, 2020). "CD2 Flashpoint: Three Women at the Heart of a Fast-Developing National 2020 Contest". Insider NJ. Retrieved July 23, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "Patrick and Amy Kennedy to speak on campus March 22 | Penn State University". news.psu.edu. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  7. ^ "Meet Amy". Amy Kennedy for Congress. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  8. ^ "Amy Kennedy running to challenge Jeff Van Drew in New Jersey". Roll Call.
  9. ^ "Amy Kennedy joins race to replace Jeff Van Drew | News". pressofatlanticcity.com. January 6, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  10. ^ Hill, Michael (July 8, 2020). "Amy Kennedy primary win stuns South Jersey political machine". NJTV News. Retrieved July 12, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Kane, Paul (July 10, 2020). "Analysis | The Daily 202: 2020 primaries reveal the atrophy of political 'machines'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Rosenberg, Amy S. (July 9, 2020). "Amy Kennedy beat a political machine, but her secret was her own family, not her husband's". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved July 10, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "Harrison concedes to Kennedy in a surprising twist to 2nd District Democratic primary". pressofatlanticcity.com. July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  14. ^ Kane, Paul (July 7, 2020). "Amy Kennedy wins N.J. Democratic primary, will face party defector turned Trump loyalist". Washington Post. Retrieved July 8, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Todisco, Eric (July 9, 2020). "Amy Kennedy, Wife of Patrick Kennedy, Wins New Jersey Congressional Democratic Primary". People. Retrieved July 10, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Manchester, Julia; Axelrod, Tal (July 7, 2020). "Amy Kennedy wins NJ primary to face GOP's Van Drew". The Hill. Retrieved July 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ https://medium.com/@BarackObama/first-wave-of-2020-endorsements-43b2b0c667f6
  18. ^ https://www.nj.com/politics/2020/08/obama-just-got-involved-in-njs-hottest-congressional-race.html
  19. ^ "Patrick Kennedy Married Amy Petitgout". PEOPLE.com.
  20. ^ "Patrick Kennedy: A Kennedy Remade". PEOPLE.com.
  21. ^ staff, News. "Ex-RI Rep. Kennedy, wife bring baby home in NJ". providencejournal.com. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  22. ^ NEWS, NBC 10 (May 30, 2018). "Patrick and Amy Kennedy welcome fifth child". WJAR.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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