John Unger
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = John R. Unger II
|image=John Unger.jpeg
|caption=Unger in 2012
| state_senate = West Virginia
| district = 16th
| term_start = December 1, 1998
| term_end = August 20, 2021
| predecessor = Harry E. Dugan
| successor = Hannah Geffert
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|1|24}}
| birth_place = Martinsburg, West Virginia, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Republican
| spouse = Marti Steiner
| residence = Martinsburg, West Virginia, U.S.
| children =
| alma_mater = West Virginia University (B.A.)
University of Hong Kong
University of Oxford (B.A., M.A.)
| profession = Pastor
}}
John Ronald Unger II is a former American politician and magistrate. Prior to his appointment as a Berkeley County magistrate,{{Cite news|last=Cook|first=Tim|date=September 1, 2021|title=Unger resigns from state Senate, replacement process underway|work=Spirit of Jefferson|url=http://www.spiritofjefferson.com/news/article_4f986912-0b35-11ec-9208-1ba39230980e.html}} Unger represented the 16th district in the West Virginia Senate from 1999 to 2021. The 16th District includes all of Jefferson County and a portion of Berkeley County. At the time of his retirement from the West Virginia Senate, Unger was the third active longest-serving senator and longest serving senator from the Eastern Panhandle.{{Cite news|date=August 11, 2021|title=Democratic Senator Unger to resign for magistrate position|work=Charleston Gazette-Mail|url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/politics/democratic-senator-unger-to-resign-for-magistrate-position/article_47c002d0-2889-5936-847b-508f4ffbc994.html}}
Legislature
During his time in the Legislature, Unger served as Majority Leader of the West Virginia Senate from January 2011 until November 2014 when Democrats lost control of the Senate as a result of Republican gains in the 2014 West Virginia Senate election.{{Cite news|last=Umstead|first=Matthew|date=November 5, 2014|title=Snyder, Unger to lose leadership posts in W.Va. Senate|work=The Herald-Mail|url=https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/story/news/local/2014/11/06/snyder-unger-to-lose-leadership-posts-in-wva-senate/45016425/|access-date=October 15, 2021}} Unger then served as Minority Whip until 2017 when Marion County state Sen. Roman Prezioso became the new Minority Leader and appointed former Kanawha County state Sen. Corey Palumbo as Minority Whip.
Personal
While a student at West Virginia University, Unger was named a member of the 1992 USA TODAY All-USA Academic Team and a Truman Scholar.{{Cite web|title=Where Are They Now? John Unger|url=https://aspire.wvu.edu/wvu-scholars/where-are-they-now/john-unger|website=West Virginia University}} He also went as a Rhodes Scholar to Oxford University and has a master’s degree in divinity from the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.{{Cite web |url=http://aspire.wvu.edu/wvu_scholars/former/unger |title=Senator John R. Unger | ASPIRE | West Virginia University |access-date=2014-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006075121/http://aspire.wvu.edu/wvu_scholars/former/unger |archive-date=2014-10-06 |url-status=dead }}
Unger is ordained as an ELCA Lutheran pastor, and serves the congregations of St. John Lutheran Church, St. John's Episcopal Church, and Bolivar United Methodist Church in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2015/06/05/november-7-2014-john-unger/24540/|title=John Unger | November 7, 2014|website=PBS |date=5 June 2015}} In addition, he is a chaplain for the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office.{{cite web | author =Rachel Molenda | title =Sheriff's Office begins chaplaincy program for officers | website =The Journal | date =June 17, 2013 | url =http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/595681/Sheriff-s-Office-begins-chaplaincy-program-for-officers.html | access-date =January 23, 2015 | archive-date =July 2, 2016 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160702022954/http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/595681/Sheriff-s-Office-begins-chaplaincy-program-for-officers.html | url-status =dead }}
Election results
{{Election box begin no change| title=West Virginia Senate District 16 (Position A) election, 2018{{cite web|url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/WV/92360/Web02-state.222648/#/cid/1100|title=Statewide Results: General Election - November 6, 2018|website=West Virginia Secretary of State|access-date=November 12, 2019}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = John Unger (incumbent)
|votes = 18,802
|percentage = 52.14%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Michael Folk
|votes = 17,257
|percentage = 47.86%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 36,059
| percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change| title=West Virginia Senate District 16 (Position A) election, 2014{{cite web|url=http://services.sos.wv.gov/apps/elections/results/results.aspx?year=2014&eid=21&county=Statewide|title=Statewide Results: General Election - November 4, 2014|website=West Virginia Secretary of State|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107040731/http://services.sos.wv.gov/apps/elections/results/results.aspx?year=2014&eid=21&county=Statewide|url-status=dead}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = John Unger (incumbent)
|votes = 12,287
|percentage = 52.49%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Larry V. Faircloth
|votes = 11,122
|percentage = 47.51%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 23,409
| percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change| title=West Virginia Senate District 16 (Position A) election, 2010{{cite web|url=http://services.sos.wv.gov/apps/elections/results/results.aspx?year=2010&eid=6&county=Statewide|title=Statewide Results: General Election - November 2, 2010|website=West Virginia Secretary of State|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201041539/http://services.sos.wv.gov/apps/elections/results/results.aspx?year=2010&eid=6&county=Statewide|url-status=dead}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = John Unger (incumbent)
|votes = 18,800
|percentage = 50.43%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Craig Blair
|votes = 18,482
|percentage = 49.57%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 37,282
| percentage = 100.0%
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.senatorunger.org/ John Unger - WV State Senator] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831115029/http://www.senatorunger.org/ |date=2007-08-31 }} - personal state senate web site
- [http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/members/senmemview.cfm/ West Virginia Senate Members Directory] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070817233209/http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/members/senmemview.cfm |date=2007-08-17 }} - West Virginia member directory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unger, John}}
Category:Democratic Party West Virginia state senators
Category:West Virginia University alumni
Category:American Rhodes Scholars
Category:21st-century members of the West Virginia Legislature
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