Jolene Ivey

She is of mixed-race, born to a white mother and African-American father.[3] However, she was raised by her African American father and stepmother in Washington, D.C.[3] Ivey graduated from High Point High School in 1978.[4] She graduated from Towson University with a B.A. in mass communication in 1982.[4]

She served as co-host of Say Baltimore, at WMAR-TV in 1983. She was a writer and producer for WMAR from 1984 to 1988. In 1988, she served as then-Congressman Benjamin Cardin's press secretary. She is a freelance writer and the director of Media Relations for the Community Teachers Institute. She returned to graduate school, gaining a master's degree in journalism from the University of Maryland in 1992.[4]

Ivey is married to Glenn F. Ivey, former State's Attorney for Prince Georges County and a well-known politician. The couple have five children.

Although name recognition may have played a part in her initial election in 2006 to the House of Delegates in Maryland, Ivey was endorsed by The Washington Post and The Gazette, and ran a strong grassroots campaign. She defeated incumbent Rosetta C. Parker.[5]

In 2014, Ivey ran for Lieutenant Governor with Douglas Gansler. The Gansler–Ivey team lost to the Brown–Ullman campaign in the democratic primary election for the top ticket that year, coming in second.

Ivey has been a member of House of Delegates since January 10, 2007. She was assigned to the Ways and Means Committee and its election law and revenues subcommittees. She was vice-chair of the Bi-County Committee in the Prince George's County Delegation. She also served in the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and the Women Legislators of Maryland.[6] In her first session in Annapolis, Ivey got her first bill passed and signed into law. HB968 established the Post Adoption Support Services Pilot Program which identifies children eligible for post adoption support services and requires local Departments of Social Services to conduct assessments of the needs of adopted children.[7]

Ivey and Delegate Kris Valderrama share info on House floor

• 2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47th District[14]

Voters to choose three:

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Jolene Ivey, Democratic	12,860	35.5%	Won
Victor R. Ramirez, Democratic	12,231	33.6%	Won
Doyle L. Niemann, Democratic	11,229	30.8%	Won
Other write-ins	120	0.3%

• 2010 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47th District[15]

Voters to choose three:

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Jolene Ivey, Democratic	14,404	35.4%	Won
Michael G. Summers, Democratic	12,337	30.3%	Won
Doyle L. Niemann, Democratic	11,925	29.3%	Won
Rachel Audi, Republican	1,853	4.6%
Anthony Cicoria, Democratic (Write in)	63	0.2%
Other write-ins	87	0.2%

• 2018 Race for Prince George's County Council – District 5

      Democratic Primary[16]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Jolene Ivey, Democratic	9,648	72.9%	Won
Walter Lee James Jr., Democratic	1,449	10.9%
Patricia M. Waiters, Democratic	1,139	8.6%
Rochelle Mincey-Thompson, Democratic	691	5.2%
Albert Slocum, Democratic	302	2.3%

      General election[17]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Jolene Ivey, Democratic	28,728	99.3%	Won
Other write-ins	198	0.7%

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Ivey supported Barack Obama and went to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado as a delegate pledge to Barack Obama.