Public Records Profile: Rep. Kevin C. Ambler

Elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2002, and subsequently reelected, Rep. Kevin C. Ambler is a Republican in District 47.

According to his profile on the House of Representatives Web site, Ambler was born March 10, 1961 in Los Angeles. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1983. Ambler was a member of the Cornell Interfraternity Council and AFROTC. He was also president of the Phi Alpha Omega Fraternity and a Judicial Administrator. Ambler graduated from Southwestern University School of Law, earning a Juris Doctor degree, three years later and was part of the Moot Court Honors Board of Advisors.

Ambler served time in the military afterward. He started in the U.S. Air Force the same year he graduated from Southwestern University and has been a Major in the U.S. Air Force Reserve since 1991. That same year, the military named him Outstanding Judge Advocate of the Year.

Ambler is currently a Lutz resident and a Republican in the Florida House. He's married to Mindy Hanopole, who changed her name to Ambler and is a self-employed interior designer, and has two children: Jami and Jason. He enjoys sailing, tennis and traveling.

According to the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Ambler and his wife took out a mortgage on their house, 18617 Ave Capri Ave., in the Cheval Polo and Golf Club in Lutz August 30, 2002 with Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corporation in the amount of $432,000. The assessed value of the house is $441,221. The husband and wife previously took out a mortgage in 1992 with Crossland Mortgage Corp. for their Tampa home, 4169 Brentwood Park Circle, in the amount of $92,000.

Ambler and his wife have also rented properties. They filed a warranty deed with the Commerce Title Company in April 2003 to rent a property, 10210 Highland Manor Dr. #100, to Ashley Cuddy. In June of the same year, Ambler and his wife filed another deed to Ashley Cuddy for the same property to fix an incorrect legal description in the previous deed.

He also has a law office in Tampa, which is a tangible property at 400 N. Tampa St. It has an assessed value of $20,360, which he is not required to pay taxes on this year, according to the Hillsborough County Tax Collector.

As member of the House of Representatives, Ambler has spearheaded a number of legislative initiatives. For example, he joined Sen. John Carona and Rep. Will Hartnett of Texas, Reps. William J. Seitz and Scott Oelslager of Ohio and Delegate David Albo of Virginia in True's (an online dating service) national legislation campaign that seeks to protect online daters from interacting with sexual predators and criminals.

"Why should doing your business over the Internet be immune from government's obligation to look out for the health, safety and welfare of its citizens?" Ambler asked in a story for the St. Petersburg Times.

He also started the "Ought to be a Law” bill-drafting competition. Students in Hillsborough County Schools get a hands-on experience in lawmaking and have three minutes to present their own bill to a panel of Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation members. Ambler created the competition in 2004.

Ambler and his wife made donations to Sen. John McCain's campaign during this year's presidential election. They gave $2,150 and $1,150, respectively.

Ambler is reportedly unwilling to be open about issues with the citizens he is representing, according to Project Vote Smart. He has refused to take Project Vote Smart's Political Courage test.

The test is a key component of Project Vote Smart's Voter Self-Defense system. Major leaders of the media, major parties and Project Vote Smart repetitiously ask candidates one central question: "Are you willing to tell citizens your positions on the issues you will most likely face on their behalf?" The Political Courage Test is administered to all candidates for presidential, congressional, gubernatorial, and state legislative offices. The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose.

The Project Vote Smart Web site stated: "Representative Kevin C. Ambler repeatedly refused to provide any responses to citizens on the issues through the 2008 Political Courage Test when asked to do so by national leaders of the political parties, prominent members of the media, Project Vote Smart President Richard Kimball, and Project Vote Smart staff."

Nevertheless, Ambler's voting record on Project Vote Smart's Web site displays his dedication to saying true to his more Conservative beliefs, while not letting those beliefs infringe on all of his decisions.

Although he voted no on an amendment that would earmark $1 million from the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program to fund research grants on adult, umbilical cord and embryonic stem cell projects, Ambler voted yes on a Senate bill that would provide a protected right for teachers to objectively present scientific information relating to scientific views of the teaching of evolution.

Throughout his career as a lawyer and a politician, Ambler has won numerous awards, including:

Consumer Rights, Legislative Award 2004
Florida Chamber of Commerce, Honor Roll 2004
Moffitt Cancer Center, Outstanding Legislator Award 2004
Hillsborough County, "Have A Heart" Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney of the Year 2002
Achievement Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
National Defense Medal

April 1, 2008 marked Ambler's announcement that he is going to run for the Florida Senate to take Sen. Victor Crist's seat. According to The Buzz: Florida Politics, he not only wants to win re-election this year, but also a seat in the Senate. Ambler said he wanted to be the first to file for the 2010 election to clear anybody's doubts about his future political ambitions.

Public Records:

Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court (four records used)

Hillsborough County Tax Collector (two records used)

http://www.myfloridahouse.com/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4272

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/04/ambler-to-run-f.html

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article446611.ece

http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/news2004/florida-true-safety.html

http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/otbal/

http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=Ambler