About

For decades, the focus of American government has been on urban and suburban needs.  The issues of rural America have gone almost without mention and certainly without attention.

John Stroup is running for Congress to change all that.  His roots are firmly in the Pennsylvania Fifth Congressional District, the most rural district in the state and one of the most rural in the nation.

John grew up in Clarion, Pennsylvania with his two brothers and three sisters.  As small business owners of a building material distribution company, John’s parents, Donald and Norma, instilled strong conservative principles and the values of hard work, dedication and loyalty in all of their children.

After an outstanding career as a high school wrestler in Clarion High School, John obtained his degree in Accounting from Slippery Rock University, while continuing his wrestling success in NCAA Division I competition.  John then returned to Clarion to receive an MBA from Clarion University.

After several years of working for HRB Singer in Washington, DC and Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, PA, his love of Clarion County and his respect for his own rural roots there, led him to return to Clarion to raise his own family. Though his experiences in the defense and energy fields have certainly prepared him for Congress, it is John’s love of rural America that is driving his Congressional run.

It was through his position as sales manager of his family’s small business that John had the opportunity to see firsthand the challenges that face our small businesses in rural Pennsylvania.  John will take those experiences and lessons learned to Washington DC, and will fight to protect the small businesses that often face such a disadvantage.

When he left private industry, John became the Executive Director of the Clarion Hospital Foundation, learning firsthand the challenges of healthcare in America and the even greater challenges of healthcare in a rural setting.

Throughout his career, John has still made time to serve his community, serving on boards to promote economic development, chairing the local Chamber of Commerce, organizing the local Little League, and finally, serving as the elected Mayor of his native town. He has learned, from his family and his friends, that the true values of America are still to be found in our rural neighborhoods, and these values and the need to reinvigorate them in American life now lead him to run for the United States House of Representatives.

Married now for over 26 years, John and Barb have raised their three children – Julie, Kelly and Johnny - in Clarion County, sending them to our local schools. For most of his life, this area has been John’s home and he wants to ensure that it will be as special as a place for his children and future generations as it has been for him.

America, for too long, has neglected its own rural roots.  John plans to return rural America to its rightful place and its rightful prominence in the halls of government in Washington, D.C.