If elected this fall, Gus Alzona would take the seat as the first Filipino nominated to the Maryland’s Eighth U.S. Congressional District. Following a jump from the business world to politics, the Bethesda management consultant will face competition from his Republican challengers, Jeff Stein and Daniel Zubairi, a member of Gov. Ehrlich’s Homeland Security Council. On the Democratic side, incumbent Chris Van Hollen seeks a re-election to office.

Primaries will be held on Sept.12, 2006, and the final Maryland Congressional election is planned for Nov. 7, 2006.

In hopes of better serving the Asian American community, Alzona said he would like to sponsor bills and get certain legislation passed that a Democrat could not.

Former Republican Congresswoman Connie Morella lost the seat to a Democrat politician in 2002. The Maryland's Democrat Party legislative majority changed the district's boundaries to include more heavily minority precincts.

After the redistricting, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the following minority groups increased to: Asian 13 percent, Black 17 percent, Hispanic percent. The non-Hispanic White majority declined to 55 percent.

With this information in mind, the Alzona office sent a message stating their hopes in the prospect of benefiting from the district's changing demographics.

Since Maryland's Eighth Congressional District was reinstated in 1963, the position has been represented by a civic activist, minority community leader and Maryland Legislative District 16 Central Committee Member.

More information about Alzona is available online at: www.alzona.com

Other information can be found on each of the candidates Web sites, which include www.jeffsteinforcongress.com, www.ChooseDan.com, www.vanhollen2002.com.