John R. Unger II
Member of the West Virginia Senate
from the 16th district
In office
December 1, 1998 – August 20, 2021
Preceded byHarry E. Dugan
Succeeded byHannah Geffert
Personal details
Born (1969-01-24) January 24, 1969
Martinsburg, West Virginia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMarti Steiner
Residence(s)Martinsburg, West Virginia, U.S.
Alma materWest Virginia University (B.A.)
University of Hong Kong
University of Oxford (B.A., M.A.)
ProfessionPastor

John Ronald Unger II is a former American politician and magistrate. Prior to his appointment as a Berkeley County magistrate,[1] 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.[2]

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.[3] 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.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6] In addition, he is a chaplain for the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office.[7]

Election results

West Virginia Senate District 16 (Position A) election, 2018[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Unger (incumbent) 18,802 52.14%
Republican Michael Folk 17,257 47.86%
Total votes 36,059 100.0%
West Virginia Senate District 16 (Position A) election, 2014[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Unger (incumbent) 12,287 52.49%
Republican Larry V. Faircloth 11,122 47.51%
Total votes 23,409 100.0%
West Virginia Senate District 16 (Position A) election, 2010[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Unger (incumbent) 18,800 50.43%
Republican Craig Blair 18,482 49.57%
Total votes 37,282 100.0%

References

  1. ↑ Cook, Tim (September 1, 2021). "Unger resigns from state Senate, replacement process underway". Spirit of Jefferson.
  2. ↑ "Democratic Senator Unger to resign for magistrate position". Charleston Gazette-Mail. August 11, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Umstead, Matthew (November 5, 2014). "Snyder, Unger to lose leadership posts in W.Va. Senate". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Where Are They Now? John Unger". West Virginia University.
  5. ↑ "Senator John R. Unger | ASPIRE | West Virginia University". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
  6. ↑ "John Unger | November 7, 2014". PBS. 5 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Rachel Molenda (June 17, 2013). "Sheriff's Office begins chaplaincy program for officers". The Journal. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Statewide Results: General Election - November 6, 2018". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Statewide Results: General Election - November 4, 2014". West Virginia Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Statewide Results: General Election - November 2, 2010". West Virginia Secretary of State. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2017.


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