Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Butler) has a potential challenger: Rob Joswiak.
“I’m running for Congress because Pennsylvania’s working families deserve a leader in Washington who understands their hopes as well as their concerns,” Joswiak said. “In Congress, I pledge to help create good-paying jobs, strengthen our education system, work to make college affordable, and keep our promises to America’s veterans and seniors.”
A western PA native and Air Force veteran, Joswiak decided to run for Congress following the October 2013 sequester.
Rob enlisted in the US Air Force in 2005. He first served at Ramstein Air Base in Germany as a broadcast journalist for the American Forces Network (AFN) and in 2008 Rob deployed as a combat correspondent to AFN Afghanistan at Bagram Air Field.
During his military career he was a two-time AFN “Service Member of the Year” and received numerous military decorations.
In 2010, Rob finished his tour of duty in the Air Force and returned to the US. He became a public affairs specialist at the US Office of Personnel Management in Washington, DC. The next year he took a position with the Department of Defense’s Defense Media Activity department as a product manager.
Earlier last year, he attended The Second Service Fellowship Program, a program designed for military veterans who want to run for Congress or continue a career in public service.
Joswiak didn’t do any fundraising for the race in 2013, which he calls a strategic decision based on the slower performance of candidate fundraising close to the holidays in the fourth quarter and decided to wait instead until the first quarter of 2014 to launch his financial challenge.
The 3rd Congressional district stretches the NW corner of Pennsylvania from Erie to Kittanning and includes the counties of Armstrong, Butler, Mercer, Crawford, and parts of Erie, Clarion, and Lawrence Counties.
Another veteran, Matt Ryan also declared his intent to run in the Democratic primary for this seat.
Whoever is successful in the Democratic primary will face incumbent Mike Kelly who has held the seat since 2010 when he unseated Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Erie), the one term congresswoman for the district.
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9 Responses
Rob’s running as a Democrat? The same guy who loudly exclaimed he was going to leave the country because the ACA was socialist? The same guy who regularly professed his love for Ron Paul?
Rob’s a nice dude, absolutely, but his personal politics make me question his running as a Democrat. I’m all for getting Rep. Kelly out of office, and I believe 100% Rob will do his best to support veterans and the military, but frankly he’s a Democrat as much as I’m the Queen of France.
Nice background, but can the boilerplate press releases. Snorrrrrre.
It’ll take more than a cookie-cutter platform to cut it in the 3rd.
I met Rob in 2006, while I lived in Germany and attended graduate school at the University of Mainz, in Mainz, Germany. He is such a strong, caring individual, and has the passion and dedication to make some real changes in Congress. If anyone can do big things in politics, it is him!
Clever, Driven, and committed. I served with Rob during his career in the AF. These are qualities that any congressman or woman should have. Best of luck Rob. And do us proud.
I worked alongside with Rob at Ft. Meade. I have never worked with someone so professional, thoughtful and intelligent. Get to know to Rob and you will see he will make a great Congressman. I could go on and on, but trust me, Rob is a true American and one who I am glad defended me while he was in the service.
Good luck Rob!
Rob and I went through training together in Ft. Meade, Maryland in 2005. He and I became great friends over the years, despite the fact that I am a Cleveland Browns fan from NE Ohio. In all honesty, I couldn’t think of a better person to represent NW Pennsylvanians. Cheers and good luck, Rob! I’m in your corner!
Your fellow veterans are rooting for you Rob Joswiak. Having served alongside you, I’d trust you with my life and in my government. God speed and God Bless!
Good luck Rob we need more forward thinkers in Congress. Most Veterans understand what it means to put our young people in harms way.