West Virginia State Senator John Unger is preparing a run for Congress, attempting to unseat Rep. Shelley Moore Capito. With The Observer’s Thomas Harding, Sen. Unger discussed topics ranging from work with Mother Teresa in India, to providing aid in Iraq, to what he thinks it takes to represent West Virginia’s second congressional district.

OBSERVER: Tell me about growing up here.

UNGER: I was born and raised in Martinsburg. My grandfather’s father came from the unincorporated town of Unger in Morgan County. He moved to Berkeley County as an economic migrant, he moved to an old quarry called Fry’s Quarry. My mother is from Preston County, my father is from Berkeley County. My grandfather worked in the quarry at Blairton. My dad worked as a clerk at the Charles Town Races. I grew up around Martinsburg. I lived on the outside of the city itself. I lived with my grandparents in North Berkeley during high school.

OBSERVER: Why were you living with your grandparents?

UNGER: My parents got divorced, and my mother struggled quite a bit as a single mother with two children. I helped raise my brother and helped around the house. We lived in a small apartment. I volunteered to live with my grandparents for the last couple of years of high school. My mother was living in Baker Heights area at the time.

OBSERVER: What was it like; was it rough?

UNGER: We came from modest beginnings. It is not something I like to dwell on. My mother made the best she could of her situation. It was a struggle at times. It was a home. There was nothing bad about it.

OBSERVER: You became a Rhodes Scholar and went to Oxford University for a while. Did you get much support from your school to go to college?

UNGER: I was in the gifted program in school. I was making solid grades. I can remember there was always a distinction made. I was in the lower tier at school because my mother was a secretary and my father was a clerk. The kids who were children of doctors and lawyers were in the top tier. They were always expected to do better. It happens. They say it doesn’t, but it does. You could tell that they didn’t expect as much from you [if you were from a modest background] as from the others. I was the first generation in my family to enroll in college.

OBSERVER: Did you get much support from your family?

UNGER: My grandfather and grandmother were always supportive. But they still thought the dream [of going to college] was pretty lofty. My mother always knew the importance of education. But she didn’t think college would happen. “That is for the rich kids and you have to accept your status,” she would say. They were all trying to prepare me in case it never happened.

OBSERVER: Where was your dad during this time? Was he just gone?

UNGER: He had his own personal challenges.

OBSERVER: What does that mean, “personal challenges”?

UNGER: He was fighting his own problems. He struggled at that time. His role was not as prominent as that of my grandparents or my mother.

OBSERVER: Let me ask you a question. Do you think this is the kind of question you need to answer if you are running for Congress? You are going to get all sorts of annoying questions from people like me. Is this something you are going to resist?

UNGER: I don’t mind talking about it. I don’t have anything personally to hide. But when talking about other people, I have to guard their struggles as individuals. I don’t have license to talk about their lives.

OBSERVER: That is interesting, because I asked Rep. Shelly Moore Capito about her father, Governor Arch Moore. As you know, he comes with a whole bunch of baggage including felony charges and time in prison. She was clearly uncomfortable speaking about it, but she did. Then again, her father was a public official.

UNGER: If my dad was a public official, that would be more accepted. He wasn’t a governor, he wasn’t a state official.

OBSERVER: And he wasn’t a felon.

UNGER: Right. My father was just a man, who like very many people, struggled with addictions, problems, and challenges in their lives as they go through their life. All you can do is be supportive of them.

OBSERVER: How did your family experience inform your life?

UNGER: The main thing I got was a drive for peace, coming from a family where your parents fought quite a bit, where there was a lot of violence in the home. Even after the divorce, there was a lot of tension. When a child is caught between two parents you have to learn to build compromise and help appease. You have to make them both happy. I think it has helped drive me to help those suffering in wars, conflicts, and famines. That’s why I ended up going to Calcutta, India to do humanitarian work with Mother Teresa, as well to Iraq in 1990 and 2003.

OBSERVER: When you say “violence,” what do you mean by that?

UNGER: Growing up, it was very tense….

OBSERVER: Do you mean physical and mental violence?

UNGER: Yes.

OBSERVER: Did you ever get hit?

UNGER: (Pauses) Yes. [Picking up steam again] It was about this time that I got into self-pity. “Poor me,” I would tell myself. “I come from a divorced family. I’m poor. The other kids have nicer shoes and shirts.” That’s when my grandmother, my mother’s mother, sat me down and told me I could either use my past experience as a crutch, or I could learn from experience and use it as a building block for the future. That was a turning point in my life. I am now adamant about domestic violence.

OBSERVER: Zero tolerance?

UNGER: There is never an excuse. My Grandfather Unger would always say, “If you are ever about to strike a woman or a child, you should walk away.” Passion and emotions that swell up into something physical never solve anything.

OBSERVER: I can imagine it must have been very hard to see your young brother hit.

UNGER: He was around two, three, four years old. I can remember leaving the only house I’d ever known, with a pillow under one arm, holding my mother’s hand, my brother holding her other hand.

OBSERVER: To get away from your dad?

UNGER: Yeah, the family was splitting up. We had nowhere to go. So we moved in with my mother’s mother until we found an apartment. My mother worked every day. I would come home from school with my brother. I would give him a bath, give him something to eat, put him to bed.

OBSERVER: How old were you when they broke up?

UNGER: I think I was seven or eight years old. My grandparents would come over with groceries. I remember that we were so poor that at times all we had to eat was a loaf of bread and some milk, and I would make cereal out of that.

OBSERVER: Moving forward to today. What job do you have besides being a state senator?

UNGER: When I was overseas, I received training from the U.N. and others. When I got back from Iraq in 2003, the U.S. Department of Energy contacted me, and I started working through a private company, EGG Tech Services. I worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. I was working on critical infrastructure protection, that is, [advising clients] how to harden targets against a potential terrorist attack.

OBSERVER: How long were you in Iraq?

UNGER: I was in Iraq in 1990 to 1991 and again in 2003.

OBSERVER: According to your website, in 1990 you were working for DART [Disaster Assistance Respond Team of USAID]. Is that right?

UNGER: I started with the International Rescue Committee, when Operation Provide Comfort started. I was seconded to the DART team then.

OBSERVER: My sister was in Iraq at the same time you were there. She reckons everyone who worked for DART was a spook. Were you part of intelligence?

UNGER: [laughing] No I wasn’t. I was with a nongovernmental organization, but that is true, there were a lot of people who were [intelligence operatives working in DART].

OBSERVER: So you have never worked for intelligence services or the military?

UNGER: No, I have never been connected with the intelligence community.

OBSERVER: How did you get into humanitarian work?

UNGER: I started out as a missionary in my freshmen year at college. I went to Hong Kong with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. I worked with boat people fleeing Vietnam for Hong Kong. I helped set up group homes and worked on getting children out of camps. As Mother Teresa said, “You show your faith through action.” My role was strictly humanitarian. I came back to Hong Kong the following summer working with the U.S. Refugee Program.

OBSERVER: Most other kids from Martinsburg were not running off to Hong Kong during their summer breaks.

UNGER: I was 20 years old. This was the first time I had been out of the country. I hadn’t traveled much up till then. Most of the people my age probably would be hanging out at the beach or working a job in the community. It was an experience to be out of the country. It was a whole new world.

OBSERVER: You are now running for Congress, What is the difference between you and Rep. Shelley Moore Capito?

UNGER: I’m not running against anyone; I’m running for change. Looking at the state of the country today, it comes down to what kind of leadership do we need. I’m not looking to tear anyone down.

OBSERVER: If you are not running against anyone, why do we need to change the person representing us?

UNGER: People know where she stands, what her issues are, and her track record. And they know where I stand, my track record, my background, and what I’ve accomplished. Those things are going to become pretty evident.

OBSERVER: There are certain things Representative Capito has voted for, things that she has done, and people in West Virginia’s Second District are going to want to know if you would vote differently, if you would act differently, or the same. They will want to know if you are going to bring troops homes quickly? What is your energy policy? How will you vote on social issues like Rowe vs. Wade?

UNGER: Today we talk about immigration, Iraq, economic development. Tomorrow could be a totally different situation. You have to feel comfortable that the person has character, experience, and the background to be able to process decisions for the right reasons.

OBSERVER: But isn’t that exactly why President Bush won? He emphasized personality over policy. He was a guy people thought they could have a drink with.

UNGER: You are right. It is also about choice. The voters felt more comfortable with Bush than Gore or Kerry. But here is the difference today. There was a big shift in America. It wasn’t the Democrats winning Congress last year. The difference is that the voters are seeing world events, domestic events, now having an impact on their families personally. Before it was hypothetical. Now we see it in each community. When people pick up a newspaper they look at the obituaries to see if they know the person who died in Iraq. They drive down the road and see a flag at half mast. They know a child of a friend, a neighbor who is serving in Iraq. They are beginning to realize the sacrifice people are making. And they are starting to ask their leaders: “Okay, you are requiring us to make a sacrifice, but what have you sacrificed?”

OBSERVER: So, would you bring troops home quickly?

UNGER: Yes. If I could bring them home tomorrow, I would do it. But logistically it is a challenge. You need a process. I was in Iraq in 2003 with Save the Children Fund. We set up the operation, we recruited and trained Iraq nationals. We turned over responsibilities to them, and we became technical advisors to assist them. Then we pulled out. It took four months. I would do the same for the rest of the country.

OBSERVER: [In 2006, the Unger campaign created and distributed a copy of “Promoting Family Values.” The flyer quotes Kevin McCoy, West Virginia Family Foundation PAC chairman, as saying that Unger’s“unwavering support for the rights of the unborn and the protection of traditional marriage has made him the clear choice for this race. On the other hand, Senator Unger’s opponent Jerry Mays says he would introduce and vote for ‘same sex civil union’ legislation to give legal recognition to same-sex couples.”] Senator Unger, do you agree with the content of this flyer?

UNGER: As far as the content, I don’t see anything wrong with clearly stating [Jerry May’s] position. Overall, though, the response from my friends has not been very good. I probably should not have done it.

OBSERVER: The implication is that you are against same sex-marriage….

UNGER: I know that is what people have had a problem with.

OBSERVER: Let me ask you, are you against same-sex marriage?

UNGER: I am not for same-sex marriage.

OBSERVER: What about same-sex civil unions?

UNGER: I would like to learn more about it.

OBSERVER: Is that a ‘yes’ you are against same-sex civil unions?

UNGER: No, that is not a ‘yes.’

OBSERVER: Are you for or against creating civil unions for same-sex relationships with increased benefits similar to those enjoyed by married people?

UNGER: This is one I struggle with. I don’t have an answer. Through the democratic process over the years, the country has valued the union between a man and a woman—for whatever reasons, social, family, maybe even religious. And they have allowed for a spouse to collect social security if a husband or wife dies. These are benefits, not rights. Some people who have entered into gay and lesbians relationships want a union with the same benefits. There is an argument: “You allowed them, why not us?” But, it is a benefit, not a right. And, it’s a democratic process. There needs to be a debate. The question is, can we afford it? Can we do it or can’t we? These things need to be worked out.

OBSERVER: Do you have a moral problem with gays and lesbians?

UNGER: Personally, I don’t choose that lifestyle, I’m not gay. But other than that, I don’t impose my judgment on others.

OBSERVER: Would you overturn the historic Supreme Court decision Rowe vs. Wade that allows for abortions in this country?

UNGER: I would not want to overturn it. Personally, however, in my own faith, I am pro-life.

OBSERVER: Why wouldn’t you work to overturn Rowe vs. Wade?

UNGER: I don’t think that it would be good for the country. The issue would go state-to-state. Legislatures would run on pro-life and pro-choice platforms. I don’t think that would be healthy. Just running on one platform would be devastating and overturning Rowe vs. wade would lead to that. However, I’m going to be very clear, I am pro-life.

OBSERVER: Are you worried about losing support on these two issues?

UNGER: These are the two issues I struggle most with philosophically and practically.

OBSERVER: Let’s talk about money. Your latest return has you with a little over $26,000 in the bank. Representative Capito has over $300,000 in the bank. You started in poor beginnings. Is that how you are continuing?

UNGER: We are working on that. You need money to get the message out. Keep in mind that she is an incumbent so you would expect her to have a lot of money. A lot of her money comes from outside the state. Regardless how much money I have or how many press releases I send out—granted that is important—it is going to come down to the ballot box and those individuals who get behind that curtain. They are going to choose the leader who has their confidence.

OBSERVER: Do you think you can beat her?

UNGER: I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think I could beat her.

OBSERVER: Is she going to be a tough nut to crack, especially in our state, where politics is so much about “What pork can you bring to us?”

UNGER: I’ve brought money [to local areas] from the State Senate. I will bring back money from Congress. Everybody does it. Actually I think we need to be more responsible with this. Do we want the person who brings us money? Yes. But do we want somebody who has experience? Even more so.

OBSERVER: Do you care about becoming a representative in Congress?

UNGER: My whole life I’ve wanted to be where the greatest need is, and God has always led me there. If you look at my life, it has been unusual. I will be one of the very few people in Congress who has worked in Iraq, not one of those who went over for a photo op’, went around talking to merchants they hand picked, and were too scared to leave the Green Zone because they will get blown up. I lived with the Iraqis, in the community. I didn’t have a guard, and these are the experiences that the voters I hope will see: “John Unger has the background that no one else has. We may not always agree on his position, but we know his heart is in the right place, and he is an open-minded person. He will listen to reason and not dismiss people outright. He will listen to me, and I have most confidence in him making decisions on my and my family’s behalf.” And that’s the message I have to send out.

Who Is John Unger?

John R. Unger II was born in Martinsburg, Berkeley County, West Virginia, in 1969. At WVU, Unger studied biology and liberal arts as a University Honors Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa’s Albert Lee Strum Scholar. From 1988 to 1990, Unger worked for the United States Refugee Program as the special assistant to the director in Hong Kong. He also served as a member of the International Rescue Committee and the U.S. State Department Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART)  providing relief for Kurdish refugees in southern Turkey and northern Iraq following the Persian Gulf War.

John Unger was awarded the United States Presidential Certificate of Merit for national service. Governor Gaston Caperton appointed him to serve on the National and Community Service Advisory Board from 1991 to 1993. As a board member, he helped in the planning and establishment of the West Virginia Institute for Service Learning. Unger also helped establish the West Virginia Campus Compact and WVU’s Office of Service-Learning Program. In December 1992, John Unger was named WVU’s twenty-fourth Rhodes Scholar.

From 1994 to 1995, John  Unger returned to Hong Kong, where he served as political advisor to the Hong Kong Legislative Council. Unger also served as deputy secretary to JUSTICE (The Hong Kong Section of the International Commission of Jurists).

Returning to the United States in 1995, John  Unger became engaged in economic development initiatives and remained very active in his community.   He was vice president of Van Wyk Enterprises in Martinsburg from 1996 to 1998; founder and former president of the West Virginia International Trade Development Council; founder of the Employment and Training Search Program, the Office of Service Learning at West Virginia University, the West Virginia Campus Compact; a founding trustee to the Mountain Milestone Summer Day Camp for Mentally and Physically Disabled Youth in West Virginia; and former chairman of the Disaster Assistance Team—Berkeley County American Red Cross and member of the Disaster Assistance Team.

From April to July 2003, Senator Unger served as the director of communications for Save the Children International in Iraq. There, he helped coordinate humanitarian relief, recovery and reconstruction operations and information management. Senator Unger also focused on providing direct relief and recovery assistance to orphanages, children hospitals, senior care homes and homes for the mentally disabled.

Senator Unger was first elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1998 at the age of 29—making him one of the youngest State Senators in West Virginia history. He is currently serving his second four-year term. He is chairman of the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; vice chairman of the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee; chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Workforce, Innovation and New Economy; and chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Bio-Terrorism and Homeland Security. He is a ranking member of the Senate Finance, Education, Economic Development, Agriculture and Interstate Cooperation committees.

He is an advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) regarding homeland security and economic development.  He was until recently a producer and host of WEPM Panhandle Live, a public affairs radio talk show in the Eastern Panhandle.