Candidate profile: Amber Longenbaugh, Kerr County District Court Clerk

Amber Longenbaugh is running for district clerk, emphasizing the importance of cross-training and her decision to self-fund her campaign without accepting donor contributions.

Longenbaugh described the district clerk’s office as highly demanding, managing civil filings, adult felonies and passports under statutory deadlines. She credited current clerk Dawn with ensuring the office could function during crises like COVID-19 by cross-training all staff members on every job.

“Crime doesn’t stop being committed. Divorces don’t stop happening. Child custody cases don’t stop. So we were all cross-trained on everything,” Longenbaugh said.

She provided granular details about daily pressures, describing a recent Friday when a single couple arrived with nine passport applications while court was simultaneously in session, requiring staff to run between the counter and courtroom.

Longenbaugh admitted she was “extremely naive” entering politics, having been unprepared for the aggressive nature of the race. Like several other candidates, she received “reservations” from the local Republican Party rather than a recommendation.

“This is my first time in politics and apparently I was extremely naive going into this and just thinking that everybody was going to be nice and play fair because that’s how I was going into it,” she said.

On campaign finance, Longenbaugh revealed she is not fundraising from donors. “I’m not fundraising. Everything I’m spending is my own money,” she said.

A standout detail from her interview was that her primary campaign volunteer for placing signs is her mother, a retired Army drill sergeant whose presence provides significant support.

“My mother is my number one sign person. She is retired,” Longenbaugh said. “She’ll text me, ‘Hey, so and so said we can put a sign here.’ I’m like, ‘Great, mom. Do it.'”

Longenbaugh emphasized the need for the district clerk to handle emotionally charged situations with a balance of empathy and firmness.

“Emotions are already running high when you’re in those kinds of situations,” she said, “but that doesn’t give anyone license to ever be rude to me.”

She described the job as “very detail oriented” but noted the necessity of making decisions on the fly because “not every situation is like every other situation.”

Longenbaugh grew up as an “Army brat,” living in various locations including Laramie, Wyoming, and attending seventh grade in Panama before her mother was stationed at Fort Sam Houston. She originally applied for the clerk’s office 11 years ago because her husband wanted to move from the jail to patrol duty as a police officer, and she needed an “8 to 5” job to ensure someone was home with their children.

She lives in Mountain Home. Her 15-year-old daughter is involved in varsity cheer, track, volleyball, basketball and band at Harper High School.