Republican lawyer to seek House seat

Kevin Ambler says he began to consider higher office after he tried to change the county charter and could not.

By LOGAN D. MABE

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 21, 2001

NORTHDALE -- Northdale lawyer and Special Tax District president Kevin Ambler is running for the Legislature.

Ambler, 40, is seeking the District 47 state House seat now held by Republican Rob Wallace, who must leave because of term limits.

Ambler, a Republican, opened his campaign account and filed candidate papers with the Supervisor of Elections Office last week. Already in the running for the seat is Michael Steinberg, a Carrollwood Village Democrat.

"I've been involved in government and government service at the local level and I think there are a lot of things that I observe, both as a lawyer and in local government, that can be improved on at the state level," Ambler said.

Ambler, a 40-year-old trial attorney who specializes in personal injury and medical malpractice cases, has served on the Northdale Special Tax District board for seven years. He has been president of the board for six of those years.

Ambler also served on the 14-member Hillsborough County Charter Review Board, which recommends changes to the county charter meant to create better government. It was that experience that led Ambler to consider higher office.

One suggestion Ambler made, but the board did not not adopt, was to limit county spending and tie it directly to inflation and population growth. If those rose by only 4 percent, Ambler reasoned that the county's budget should not be allowed to rise more than 4 percent.

"In essence, it would be living within our means," Ambler said.

But an opinion from the state Attorney General's Office said state law would not allow such a budget cap.

"So I thought, well, then, we need to change the law at the state level," Ambler said. "That's when I started getting charged up."

Ambler said he also would champion consumer protection issues, a favorite topic of his since he launched an "Ask a Lawyer" program four years ago. Once a month, about 20 lawyers donate their time to answer legal questions from telephone callers.

"Through the course of that program, I've become aware of some consumer protection issues that really need some changes in the law."

Ambler, a native of Palm Springs, Calif., graduated from Cornell University and the Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. He started his legal career as a judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force.

He and his family moved to Northdale in 1986 when he was transferred from an Air Force base in Southern California to MacDill Air Force Base.

Ambler's wife, Mindy, is an architectural interior designer. His two children, 13-year-old Jason and 11-year-old Jami, attend Ben Hill Middle School.

-- Logan D. Mabe can be reached at 813-226-3464

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