THE GAZETTE
Page A-8
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 s
Howard professor Darian Zokle to focus on economic equality during District 20 run Unger seeks District 20 seat n Cultural competency, mental health advocacy also will be part of campaign BY
KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER
Silver Spring attorney George Zokle has always thought about running for office and while he said there is never a perfect time to run, his time is now. Zokle, 34, is seeking one of three seats in the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 20. More than a dozen candidates have been rumored for the June ballot in District 20. Del. Heather Mizeur’s decision to run for Maryland governor means her District 20 seat will be up for grabs. Incumbent Dels. Sheila Hixson (D) and Tom Hucker (D) are running for reelection. A Democrat, Zokle has built a platform that focuses on not just the political usuals of a stronger economy, preserving the environment and improving schools. Instead, he said he looks to tackle those issues by addressing economic equality, cultural competency and mental health advocacy. Zokle said maximizing every individual’s skills and education creates opportunities for personal financial success and entrepreneurship. “When an economy starts
pushing downward, I would like to empower the people to push back,” he said. As a lawmaker, he would fight for programs that allow businesses to come together and utilize one another rather than stand alone, he said. But in a district as diverse as District 20 — which spans portions of Silver Spring and Takoma Park — he said there are cultural barriers to education, opening a business or obtaining health care. Issues of language, communication and tolerance need to be addressed, he said. But what he is really passionate about is mental health. Zokle said mental health seems to only come up when talking about gun violence or institutions, and it still bears a stigma. In Maryland, mental health has lost in the budget year after year, he said. For Zokle, the focus needs to be on mental health first, physical health second. “I see a path to victory in this campaign,” he said. “When I apply my model of integrating cultural competency and mental health advocacy and economic equality and tie that into those major issues, I believe that is what will lead me to victory. I believe that will lead the citizens of District 20 to victory.” Actively campaigning for the seat, Zokle said he is currently knocking on doors and organizing fundraising events. His goal
Unger: ‘I’m really connected to the community’
n
BY
KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER
DARIAN UNGER
Darian Unger, 40, seeks the Democratic nomination for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 20.
is $100,000. He has not yet filed with the Board of Elections. While he has supporters on board with his campaign, none have official titles as of yet, such as campaign manager, he said. A native of Ohio, Zokle came to Maryland because he sought a more diverse and open community. He has lived here about eight years. He holds a bachelor’s from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, a masters degree from Johns Hopkins University and his law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He currently practices law independently, specifically civil litigation. He said on Tuesday that he plans to file for the race on Wednesday. kalexander@gazette.net
As an engineer, a university professor, a volunteer firefighter and rescuer, and a father of three young children, Darian Unger is a problem solver. And the problems that currently have his attention are in Annapolis. Unger, 40, of Silver Spring is seeking one of three seats in the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 20. More than a dozen candidates have been rumored for the Democratic primary ballot in District 20 in June. Del. Heather Mizeur’s (D) decision to run for governor means her District 20 seat will be up for grabs. Dels. Sheila Hixson (D) and Tom Hucker (D) are running for re-election. Among a growing field of House hopefuls, Unger said he stands apart from the lawyers and young politicos gunning for the seat. “A key difference about me isn’t just that I’m progressive, but that I have a track record of effective local advocacy, that I know our neighborhoods, and that I’m so connected to our community,” Unger said. Unger teaches business at
GEORGE ZOKLE
George Zokle is running for Maryland House of Delegates in District 20.
Howard University School of Business, teaching his students how to innovate and start new companies. He teaches and conducts research on innovation, entrepreneurship and development of environmental energy technologies. He also volunteers as an emergency medical technician and firefighter with the Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Department. Volunteering as a firefighter and EMT is the most exciting and helpful form of community service, he said. At the heart of Unger’s campaign for office is sustainable development, shaping the community to ensure a future for his children and future generations. Issues such as reliable electricity, carbon emissions, fair wages for workers, affordable
kalexander@gazette.net
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9715 Medical Center Drive, Suite 105 Rockville, Maryland 20850 18111 Prince Philip Drive, Suite 127 Olney, Maryland 20832 20410 Observation Drive, Suite 100 Germantown, Maryland 20876
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housing, education funding and access, environmental protection and progressive tax policies are all areas where the state could improve, and are areas where Unger already has a track record of local advocacy, he said. But sustainable development also requires public health and safety measures, such as stronger domestic violence laws, he said. Responding to incidents, fires and crashes, Unger has seen first-hand the weaknesses in the system, from the laws designed to protect domestic violence victims to the design of roads and intersections. “Being in fire service does color your view of public safety and I want to be able to see crimes better enforced, and I want the police to have the tools they need to do that,” he said. “Everyone calls 911 — it does not matter if they are rich or poor, homeowner or renter.” In addition to his work at Howard and with the fire department, Unger chairs the District 20 Democratic caucus, serves on the board of Action Committee for Transit and the steering committee of Progressive Neighbors and is a past chairman of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board and the Silver Spring Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Committee. “I’m really connected to the community, to our community,” he said. He and his wife, Jill Clark, have three children, ages 7, 5 and 2, two of whom are in Montgomery County Public Schools. As a parent, he has seen the hard work and dedication of teachers and said he never again wants to see education threatened. “I want a strong education system that doesn’t involve punishing Montgomery County and that actually provides the resources and compensation that teachers need,” he said. Unger has a history as a government watchdog, and said he hopes to improve accountability and transparency in Annapolis. “I can be watchdog but also like working as team,” he said. “One person howling in the wind won’t get much done.” Unger said he hopes to join Hucker and Hixson on the District 20 House team and to get there, he is running a grassroots campaign. While he said he is raising money, he has not yet set a fundraising goal, as many factors will determine how much he needs to raise. Fundraising, he said, is not “everything.” Unger holds a bachelor’s from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, and a master’s and doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.