Ashley Gantt

{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ashley Gantt | image = Ashley_Gantt.jpg | state_house = Florida | district = 109th | term_start = November 8, 2022 | preceded = James Bush | birth_name = Ashley Viola Gantt | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|4|14}}<ref>{{cite web|title=State Representative Ashley Gantt's page|url=https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4897&LegislativeTermId=90|website=myfloridahouse.gov}}</ref> | party = Democratic | education = | alma_mater = University of Florida (BA)<br>Shepard Broad College of Law<br>Nova Southeastern University (JD) }} '''Ashley Viola Gantt''' (born {{Circa|1984}})<ref name=":1" /> is an American lawyer, politician, and former schoolteacher. She is the member for District 109 in the Florida House of Representatives.

== Early life and education == Gantt earned a B.A. in English from the University of Florida in 2007.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Gantt |first=Ashley V. |title=Curriculum Vitae |url=https://www.law.nova.edu/faculty/adjunct-faculty/ashley-v.-gantts-bio.pdf |website=Shepard Broad College of Law}}</ref> She joined the Teach For America Mississippi Delta Corps for two years.<ref name=":0" /> She taught as a middle school and high school teacher for six years at Miami-Dade County Public Schools before beginning law school.<ref name=":0" /> Gantt completed a J.D. at the Shepard Broad College of Law in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ashley V. Gantt |url=https://www.law.nova.edu/faculty/adjunct-faculty/gantt-ashley.html |access-date=2022-08-24 |website=Shepard Broad College of Law |language=en}}</ref>

In the 2022 Florida House of Representatives election, she criticized incumbent representative James Bush for voting with Republicans on the recent abortion ban legislation and the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Lim |first=Clarissa-Jan |date=August 24, 2022 |title=A Florida Judge Who Denied A Teen Girl An Abortion Because Of Her Grades Was Voted Out Of Office |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/clarissajanlim/florida-primary-elections-abortion-rights |access-date=2022-08-24 |website=BuzzFeed News |language=en}}</ref> On August 23, 2022, she won the Democratic primary for District 109.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Klas |first=Mary Ellen |date=August 24, 2022 |title=Gantt upsets incumbent James Bush III in state House District 109 |work=Miami Herald |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article264628311.html |access-date=2022-08-24}}</ref> She was backed by Service Employees International Union and Ruth’s List Florida.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2022-08-24 |title=Four Florida House members lost their seats in Tuesday's primary elections |url=https://news.wfsu.org/state-news/2022-08-24/four-florida-house-members-lost-their-seats-in-tuesdays-primary-elections |access-date=2022-08-24 |website=WFSU News |language=en}}</ref> Gantt had no opponents in the general election.<ref name=":2" />

== Family == In 2025, her aunt Janette Gantt Palmer could not renew her driver’s license due to ID laws.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Francois |first=Tania |date=2025-04-23 |title=South Florida woman says she can't get Real ID because she can't prove she was born in U.S. - CBS Miami |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/florida-woman-says-she-cant-get-real-id-because-she-cant-prove-she-was-born-in-u-s/ |access-date=2025-05-08 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Gantt helped her apply for a birth certificate through the South Carolina Department of Public Health.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Kandiss |date=2025-05-07 |title=Black Woman Born Pre-Segregation Cannot Obtain Real ID |url=https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-woman-real-id-palmer/ |access-date=2025-05-08 |website=Black Enterprise |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Political career == {|- {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Ashley Gantt |votes = 7,385 |percentage = 51.75% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = James Bush III |votes = 6,886 |percentage = 48.25% }} {{Election box total no change |votes = 14,271 |percentage = 100% }} {{Election box end}}

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gantt, Ashley}} Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Nova Southeastern University alumni Category:Schoolteachers from Florida Category:21st-century American women lawyers Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:21st-century African-American women politicians Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:African-American people in Florida politics Category:Women in Florida politics Category:21st-century American women educators Category:21st-century American educators Category:21st-century African-American educators Category:African-American schoolteachers Category:University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alumni Category:Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives Category:1985 births Category:21st-century African-American lawyers Category:21st-century members of the Florida Legislature