Amy Kennedy


Amy Kennedy 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 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. 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. She graduated in 1997 from Holy Spirit High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Pennsylvania State University. She later earned a Master of Science in environmental education from Nova Southeastern University.

Career

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

Politics

In the 2020 elections, Kennedy ran for the Democratic Party nomination for. 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. As of July 9, 2020, vote totals showed Kennedy winning in all eight counties in the congressional district. She will face Republican incumbent Jeff Van Drew in the general election.
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. Her campaign focused on mental health issues and education. She is supportive of expanding the Affordable Care Act.
Kennedy raised $1.4 million for her primary campaign, including a $500,000 personal loan of her own money.

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