Barbara Ramsey

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Barbara Ramsey

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Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 12, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Arizona State University

Graduate

Arizona State University

Personal

Birthplace

Lake City, Iowa

Religion

Atheist

Profession

Information technology

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Barbara Ramsey (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Nebraska's 1st Congressional District. She lost in the Democratic primary on May 12, 2020.

Ramsey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Barbara Ramsey was born in Lake City, Iowa. She received her bachelor's degree from Arizona State University in 2019, before attending Arizona State University to pursue her graduate studies with an expected graduation date of May 2021. Ramsey's professional experience includes working in information technology. She has been associated with Transformative as a cofounder.

Elections

2020

See also: Nebraska's 1st Congressional District election, 2020

Nebraska's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (May 12 Democratic primary)

Nebraska's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (May 12 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Nebraska District 1

Incumbent Jeffrey Fortenberry defeated Kate Bolz and Dennis Grace in the general election for U.S. House Nebraska District 1 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeffrey Fortenberry (R)	59.5	189,006
		Kate Bolz (D)	37.7	119,622
		Dennis Grace (L)	2.8	8,938

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 317,566
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1

Kate Bolz defeated Barbara Ramsey in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1 on May 12, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kate Bolz	77.6	43,400
	Submit photo	Barbara Ramsey	22.4	12,497

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 55,897
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1

Incumbent Jeffrey Fortenberry advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1 on May 12, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeffrey Fortenberry	100.0	84,017

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 84,017
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Nicholas Oviatt (R)

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1

Dennis Grace advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Nebraska District 1 on May 12, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dennis Grace	100.0	1,047

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,047
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Barbara Ramsey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ramsey's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in Northwest Iowa on a family farm. At an early age I was feeding livestock, cleaning henhouses, and learning the hard work that goes into farming. For many years I was a member of 4-H, showing pets, exhibiting art, and doing presentations annually at the Iowa State Fair. In 2012, I graduated with a degree in Information Technology. My internship led me to a job as a Technical Sales Engineer with a company that worked for county and city government. This job took me all over Iowa and Eastern Nebraska. It allowed me to meet with government officials and constituents from rural and urban areas. I spent a lot of time listening to them. Often, I had to present researched technical ideas at public meetings, as well as speak with the press and constituents. I also learned the hard facts of budgeting for government. In 2014, I was named to the MSPmentor 250 list for my work in county government. Since then, I have worked for government contractors and a non-profit hospital. In 2017, I moved to Bellevue with my fiancée, two sons, two dogs, and my cat. Immediately, I fell in love with the state of Nebraska. Shortly after moving to town, I helped found the adult transgender support group, Transformative, with my therapist. This group is a space for any transgender and non-binary individuals to feel safe.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• End the trade war and pass legislation to make sure that another president goes through congress to start one. Just as the constitiution is written.
• Combat climate change by passing the Green New Deal and incorporate sustainable farming practices with Nebraskan farmers.
• Pass Medicare for All to reduce the cost of healthcare for all Americans.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am extremely passionate about making sure that everyone is treated equally. LGBTQIA+ legislation is a huge priority, protecting farmers, and guaranteeing healthcare as a right. We must also come together to combat climate change.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to Elizabeth Warren because she is such a strong woman that has achieved so much in her lifetime.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Any biography on Henry Wallace or FDR.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

An elected official should be humble, be able to listen, and also stand for what is right.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am compassionate and care about people. I have the ability to listen and I want to enact change for the better.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Be a great representation of your district and advocate for everyone not just for those that donate to you.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to be known as somone who loved and cared for others.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

September 11, 2001. I was 13 at the time and sitting in Mrs. Mueggenberg's English class when she turned on the tv. We saw the smoking towers and then a second plane hit. I wasn't fully able to grasp what was going on but I knew that we were going to war.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a farm hand for a neighbor that lived on the other side of the section. I stayed there all summer until school started back up.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Nix. It is such a fun interesting story about a man trying to understand his mother's past and why she did the things she did. It really hits close to home for me.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Ripley from Alien

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Radio by Rammstein

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Depression and axiety have been a huge struggle in my life.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

It has the power to set the budget and bring about new laws to discuss and pass. It also holds supeona power for investigations.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

It might help in some instances but congress was meant to hold average citizens.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

We need to combat climate change, reduce student loan debt, guarentee healthcare as a right, and ensure equality for everyone.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Agriculture, Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, and Science Space and Technology

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I think that is a fair time frame.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I believe that there should be term limits. No one should make a career out of being a representative in the house or senate.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

I am open to any leadership role.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

There is a member of our military that is unable to come out as transgender because she would lose her career. She has spent her entire adult life serving in the military but because of the transgender ban, she could lose it all. Anyone that is putting their life on the line for our country should not be treated with such disrespect.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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Footnotes

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Nebraska's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Deb Fischer (R)

Pete Ricketts (R)

Representatives

District 1

Mike Flood (R)

District 2

Don Bacon (R)

District 3

Adrian Smith (R)

Republican Party (5)