District 47 Democratic Team

Victor Ramirez, Jolene Ivey and Michael Summers each bring a wealth of life, work and volunteer experiences that make them a great team to represent the citizens of District 47.

Victor Ramirez, running for the state senate, has represented this district since its inception. He was raised in Mt. Rainier, attended Prince George's County public schools and graduated from Northwestern High School. He worked his way through law school and has his own law practice based in Langley Park. Victor's legislative priorities and successes center on helping victims of domestic violence, fully funding financial aid for community colleges, and cracking down on crimes that affect our neighborhoods.

Jolene Ivey is serving her first term as delegate. She grew up in northeast DC, moved to Prince George's County as a teenager and graduated from High Point High School, Towson State University, and earned her M.A. from the University of Maryland School of Journalism. Jolene co-founded Mocha Moms, a support group for at-home mothers of color and is a regular guest on NPR's "Tell Me More." She and her husband, Glenn Ivey, live in Cheverly with their 5 beautiful boys and her 91 year old father, Joe Stephenson, who retired after teaching for 20 years in our schools. Jolene's legislative victories include helping domestic violence victims, small businesses and strengthening the rights of families.

Michael Summers is seeking to fill the seat vacated by Victor Ramirez in the House of Delegates. Born and raised in North Carolina, he graduated from North Carolina A & T, and has served as a community liaison for the State's Attorney's Office for the past 6 years. He runs "Reading 2Gether," a program that gets volunteers into schools to help at-risk 2nd graders get their reading levels on track. Youngsters who read well grow into teens who do well in school rather than becoming a part of the criminal justice system. In addition, he spearheads "Community in the Courthouse," which brings community leaders into the courthouse to meet with judges and attorneys, and observe cases and sentencing. Fairer sentences are meted out when judges know the public is watching. Michael and his wife, Marisa, have 2 sons who attend Prince George's County Public Schools, where he is an active volunteer with Model U.N.