Dario Hunter Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Dario Hunter


Member of the Youngstown Board of Education
In office 2016–2020

Personal details
Born	(1983-04-21) April 21, 1983 (age 42) Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Progressive (2020–present)
Other political affiliations	Democratic (before 2017) Independent (2017–2018) Green (2018–2020)
Education	Princeton University (BA) University of Windsor (LLB) University of Detroit (JD) Wayne State University (LLM) Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute (Semikhah)

Dario David Hunter (born April 21, 1983), also known as Yisroel Hunter, is an American rabbi, lawyer, and politician. He is known for being the first man born Muslim to become a rabbi. He also ran for president in 2020 with the Green Party and later with the Progressive Party. He used to be on the school board in Youngstown, Ohio.

About Dario Hunter
- Becoming a Rabbi
Political Career
- Youngstown Politics
- 2020 Presidential Campaign
Activism and Legal Actions
Images for kids
See also

About Dario Hunter

Dario Hunter grew up in New Jersey, in the cities of Newark and Jersey City. His father was from Iran and his mother was African American.

Before living in Los Angeles, California, he worked as an environmental lawyer in Israel. He also served as a rabbi in Youngstown, Ohio, and at the College of Wooster.

Becoming a Rabbi

Dario Hunter chose to become Jewish. He first joined the Reform movement, and later the Orthodox movement. In 2012, he became a rabbi after studying at the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute in New York City. As a rabbi, he later described himself as very open-minded.

Hunter was a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, a group that supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. He lost his job as a part-time rabbi at a synagogue after he announced his run for president. This happened because of comments he made about Israel that were published in a news article.

He explained that his views on Israel changed over time. He said he realized he was wrong and wanted to do better. Even though he felt it might hurt his rabbinic career, he said he would keep supporting the cause of Palestinians and human rights around the world.

Political Career

Youngstown Politics

Dario Hunter as a Member of the Youngstown Board of Education.

In 2015, Dario Hunter ran for the Youngstown City Council as a Democratic Party candidate. He came in third place. Later that year, he won a seat on the Youngstown Board of Education. He ran as a write-in candidate, meaning people had to write his name on the ballot.

In May 2018, he joined the Green Party. This made him the only elected Green Party official in Ohio at that time. Hunter was known for speaking out on school board issues. He talked about low test scores, problems with rules, favoritism, and teaching creationism in schools.

Hunter ran for re-election to the Youngstown Board of Education in 2019 but did not win. He was very close to getting re-elected, missing it by less than one percent of the votes.

2020 Presidential Campaign

Dario Hunter campaigning in Arlington, VA in 2019.

On January 21, 2019, Hunter announced he was thinking about running for president. He formed a committee to explore a possible run for the Green Party nomination in 2020. He said that America's problems needed a serious talk about changing the country's direction.

Announcing His Candidacy

On February 18, 2019, Hunter officially announced he was running for the Green Party nomination. He made the announcement at an event in Pittsburgh. One publication called him "as diverse as candidates come." Hunter said that to get attention for the Green Party, they needed someone with a strong voice and who could handle criticism.

His campaign focused on important issues like healthcare for everyone. He also supported plans to switch the United States entirely to clean, renewable energy.

Fired from Synagogue

The synagogue where Hunter worked as a rabbi let him go after his comments about Israel were published. Hunter had said that the United States should not give aid to Israel or any country that abuses human rights. He also described Israel's treatment of Palestinians as "horribly atrocious."

The synagogue first said his presidential campaign would take too much of his time. Later, they said his comments about Israel were the reason for his dismissal. Hunter has made fighting laws against the BDS movement part of his campaign. He believes these laws limit freedom of speech.

Campaign Tour

In June 2019, Hunter spoke in Carbondale, Illinois. He criticized the use of children in immigration issues at the border. He called for better healthcare access and for an end to private companies running school districts.

In August 2019, in Springfield, Missouri, Hunter talked about an expanded Green New Deal. He called it the "Green Path Forward." This plan included improving relationships with other countries like China and Iran. It also aimed to end wars, stop pollution from being sent to other countries, and deal with environmental problems beyond carbon, like plastic pollution.

At a debate, Hunter spoke about unfairness in healthcare. He said, "We need to invest in making sure that we have a better healthcare system, especially in communities that don't get enough help." He also said there should be ways to measure and deal with unequal care.

In January 2020, Hunter said, "We need to cut the war budget... We need to invest instead in peace." He suggested creating a "Department of Peace" to build peace around the world. He believed this would help the nation work with other countries to save the planet.

Visit to Israel

Hunter visited Haifa, Israel, before the April 2019 Israeli elections. He met with a campaign manager for a joint political campaign. His visit gained attention in Israel. People noticed his support for Palestinian rights and his use of the term 'Israel-Palestine,' which is also used in the Green Party's official platform.

General Election Run

After Howie Hawkins won the Green Party's nomination, Hunter announced he would continue his presidential campaign as an independent. He said there were problems with how the Green Party primary election was run. In August, he announced he would be on the ballot in Colorado under the Progressive Party label. He also chose Dawn Neptune Adams, an activist, as his running mate.

On August 25, 2020, Hunter also won the nomination of the Oregon Progressive Party.

Activism and Legal Actions

In 2017, Hunter took legal action against the Youngstown City School District. He said they did not provide public records he asked for. These records were about a company hired to find principals for the district. The district settled with Hunter, gave him the records, and paid his court costs. Hunter planned to donate the money he received for court fees to the Boys and Girls Club.

In 2018, Hunter sued the Ohio Department of Education. He said they did not provide public records about an investigation into Youngstown's CEO. The Department of Education settled with Hunter, giving him the records and paying some of his costs.