By Adam Pagnucco.
Gaithersburg resident and U.S. Army Reserve member Amar Mukunda has announced his run for Delegate in District 39. He recently worked at Roca Baltimore, a violence prevention nonprofit.
Mukunda’s candidacy occurs in the context of strife in the district’s delegation. Delegate Gabe Acevero, who has starred on this site for brawling with a former opponent and being sued five times for failure to pay rent, is despised by more than one of his district mates. He is also disliked by MCGEO, his former employer, which unsuccessfully tried to defeat him in 2022. It’s not out of the question that the other District 39 legislators (Senator Nancy King and Delegates Lesley Lopez and Greg Wims) might team up with a challenger to defeat Acevero.
But is there another candidate strong enough to get the job done? In addition to Mukunda, Bethesda Today reported that Gaithersburg City Council Member Robert Wu, who has previously run unsuccessfully for county council, is considering getting into the race. Looming over all of this is Acevero’s woeful January campaign finance report that showed a microscopic cash balance of $2,379 – something that will no doubt encourage his enemies.
Mukunda’s press release is reprinted below.
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Amar Mukunda Launches Campaign for the Maryland House of Delegates District 39
“Faith. Family. Fortitude.”
Gaithersburg, MD — Today, gun violence prevention leader, entrepreneur, and U.S. Army Reserve combat engineer Amar Mukunda announced his candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 39. He is running in the Democratic primary to represent Gaithersburg, Germantown, Clarksburg, Montgomery Village, and Washington Grove.
Amar Mukunda has built a life defined by strength in action. From 2019 to 2023, when gun violence and overdose deaths were skyrocketing, Mukunda worked on the frontlines of the crisis. He served as Assistant Director of Roca, helping to build the organization into one of Maryland’s largest community-based violence prevention programs. At Roca, Mukunda worked directly with young men known by police and community members to have recently committed shootings and homicides. His role was to lead a team of professionals to provide critical services—including addiction counseling, conflict mediation, education, and vocational training—designed to help these young people leave violence behind.
“The success of Roca shows that coming together and putting in the hard work can alleviate some of the toughest challenges we face. Right now, our political system is in crisis. Too many people are overwhelmed and paralyzed by the news. But we are people of faith, family, and fortitude. This is the moment when we have to fight back,” said Mukunda.
Mukunda’s belief in community is rooted in deep faith and his own childhood. Mukunda’s parents were successful entrepreneurs in the 1990s, but after the post-9/11 market crash, their company was forced into bankruptcy and the family lost everything. They moved seven times before he graduated high school, and for nearly three years lived rent-free with a family friend. The support of his family, community, and the lessons learned carried him forward—to Amherst College, where he studied computer science; to a Fulbright Scholarship; and to Stanford, where he earned a Master’s in Energy and Infrastructure Engineering.
“In times of crisis, there are many things we can’t control, so we have to focus on what we can. There is too much corruption and lobbyist influence in our politics. Our campaign will never take lobbyist money, and we will work to root out laws written by and for special interests. There is too much infighting in our party. Our campaign will always stay positive and never attack fellow Democrats. We must work as a team to deliver the resources our communities deserve,” said Mukunda.
Mukunda’s campaign will focus on three urgent priorities:
– Affordability – Cutting costs for working families—like car insurance premiums, childcare expenses, and HOA fees—by rooting out laws written by and for special interests.
– Youth & Safety – Partnering with state and county leaders to bring new investment into District 39 for recreation centers, expanded in-school mental health services, and healthy meals for every student.
– Innovation & Jobs – Driving growth and opportunity by streamlining business permitting, creating the world’s first Clean Energy Opportunity Zones, and building an innovative, low-cost Red Line extension to Germantown.
Mukunda’s campaign is already building grassroots support across District 39 as he calls on voters to join him in lowering costs and bringing much-needed investments to the community.
District 39—which includes Germantown, Montgomery Village, Clarksburg, and parts of Gaithersburg—is one of the most diverse and dynamic districts in Maryland. With growing demand for new leadership, Mukunda is positioned to bring fresh energy, integrity, and bold ideas to Annapolis.
Contact: mukundaforMaryland@gmail.com