White Haven councilman announces bid for state Senate seat
WHITE HAVEN – A councilman from the foothills of the Poconos has announced his bid to run for state Senate, the first challenger to seek the seat since 2012.
John Zugarek announced his bid Sunday for the Democratic nomination to serve in Senate District 29.
The seat is currently held by Republican David G. Argall, Rush Township, who is seeking his fifth term. He was first elected in a 2009 special election following the untimely passing of Senator James J. Rhoades. He defeated Tim Seip to retain the seat in 2012 and has run unopposed in each election since.
Zugarek is the first challenger since Seip, and the first from Luzerne or Carbon County areas added to District 29 in the most recent round of redistricting.
Zugarek has been a borough councilman in White Haven — a community about half an hour northeast of Hazleton along I-80 — and co-chaired a committee against the tolling of the I-80 bridge over the Lehigh River.
He serves on the police committee, contributing to the expansion of the local police force to 24/7 coverage and an increased service area to neighboring communities.
Additionally, he is actively involved in the town’s bicentennial committee.
Outside of local government, Zugarek is president of the White Haven Lions Club and is a history and geography professor.
He says that, as a first-generation college graduate, he “knows firsthand the challenges students face in continuing their education, and his work with students continually informs his insight into the needs of local communities.”
“We need to focus on public service, the greater good, and doing the right thing. I believe we need a little bit more of these old-fashioned values today,” Zugarek said on why he’s running.
He noted that over the past five years, he has witnessed communities struggling to provide essential services such as roads, police, and emergency services amid rising costs and a shortage of volunteers.
The primary election is on April 23. Zugarek has no challenger in the Democratic primary.
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