Kevin Strouse
Kevin Strouse was a 2014 Democratic candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 8th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.[1] He won the Democratic nomination in the primary on May 20, 2014.[2] Kevin Strouse lost the general election on November 4, 2014.
Biography
Strouse graduated from Columbia University with a degree in literature in 2001. Following graduation he enlisted in the United States Army. During his service in the Army, Strouse completed three tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq.[3]
After leaving the Army, Kevin joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He served in the CIA for eight years and also obtained his master's degree in security studies from Georgetown University in 2009. Strouse works as the program director of Teach2Serve.[3]
Campaign themes
2014
Strouse's campaign website listed the following issues:[4]
- Growing Our Economy through Innovation
- Excerpt: "I believe the best way to create new jobs is by growing our economy, getting deficit spending under control, and providing tax incentives to encourage small business growth. Small businesses help drive job creation, and we must create a climate that makes it easier for entrepreneurs to start and grow new companies."
- Creating Jobs By Investing in American Workers
- Excerpt: "My top priority is helping to boost the American economy and put the country back on the path to prosperity, and that starts by reinvesting in the American worker. We’ve got the best workers in the world right here in Southeastern Pennsylvania. To get more of them back to work we must promote insourcing into America to create good-paying, fulfilling jobs."
- Improving Education to Compete in a Global Economy
- Excerpt: "As parents to two young children, my wife Amy and I have a personal interest in making American schools the best in the world. Providing every child access to early, quality education would go a long way to helping us compete in the 21st century global economy and reduce inequality."
- Balancing the Budget the Right Way by Protecting Social Security and Medicare
- Excerpt: "One of things I learned in the Army and the CIA is that bickering and finger pointing don’t get the job done, but that’s exactly what we’re seeing Congress do on the budget. I believe for the sake our economy and national security that America needs a plan to ensure a balanced budget over the long term, but we’ve got to do it in a way that promotes economic growth and creates middle-class jobs."
- National Defense and Homeland Security
- Excerpt: "I completed multiple combat tours to the Middle East and South Asia as an Army Ranger and worked in CIA’s Counterterrorism Center for six years, and I’ve seen the dangers of terrorism, radical extremism, and failed states first hand. Our number one national security priority must be to defeat terrorism at home and abroad."
Elections
2014
Strouse ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent Pennsylvania's 8th District.[5] Strouse won the Democratic nomination in the primary on May 20, 2014. He defeated Shaughnessy Naughton.[2] Kevin Strouse lost the general election on November 4, 2014.
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Michael G. Fitzpatrick Incumbent |
61.9% | 137,731 | |
| Democratic | Kevin Strouse | 38.1% | 84,767 | |
| Total Votes | 222,498 | |||
| Source: Pennsylvania Department of State | ||||
Primary results
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kevin Strouse |
51.1% | 18,428 | ||
| Shaughnessy Naughton | 48.9% | 17,610 | ||
| Total Votes | 36,038 | |||
| Source: Results via Associated Press |
||||
Race background
Democratic Super PAC House Majority PAC listed incumbent Michael G. Fitzpatrick as one of 10 vulnerable, Republican incumbents in 2014.[6] In May 2013, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched Jumpstart, a program that “provides early financial, communications, operational and strategic support to help top-tier candidates get a head start in these highly-targeted races,” according to the DCCC memo. Kevin Strouse was one of the eight Democratic candidates on the list. He was chosen based on polling figures, which indicated Fitzpatrick's vulnerability to losing re-election in 2014.[7] Due to this vulnerability, Fitzpatrick, along with 11 other House Republicans, qualified for financial assistance under the Patriot Program.[8] The program was run by the National Republican Congressional Committee and helped raise money to protect GOP incumbents who were deemed in danger of being unseated.[9]
Endorsements
Strouse received the backing of VoteVets, Nancy Pelosi, Bucks County Commissioner Diane Marseglia and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).[10][11]
He picked up an endorsement from PeacePAC, the political arm of Council for a Livable World, on November 11, 2013.[12]
“Mr. Strouse is a former Army Ranger and combat veteran; he understands that common sense solutions are necessary to address America’s greatest security threats such as terrorism, Afghanistan and the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs,” said Guy Stevens, director of PeacePAC. “We are glad to offer our support to a great candidate and someone that will be a strong voice for common sense in Congress.”[12]
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi held a fundraiser for Strouse and Michael Parrish of Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District on February 6, 2014.[13]
Media
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Campaign finance summary
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Strouse and his wife, Amy, have two children.[3]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Kevin + Strouse + Pennsylvania + Congress"
See also
- United States House of Representatives
- Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District elections, 2014
- Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ PhillyBurbs.com, "Bensalem Army Ranger to begin 8th District campaign," April 4, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Associated Press, "Pennsylvania - Summary Vote Results," May 20, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Campaign website, "About," accessed March 17, 2014
- ↑ Campaign website, "Issues," accessed March 17, 2014
- ↑ Kevin Strouse for Congress, "Kevin Strouse Announces Candidacy for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 8th District," May 7, 2013
- ↑ Sunshine State News, "Democratic Super-PAC Targets Steve Southerland," accessed March 8, 2013
- ↑ Roll Call, "Democrats Launch New Program for House Recruits," May 3, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "11 House Republicans named to incumbent-protection program," April 22, 2013
- ↑ NRCC Patriot Program, "About," accessed April 23, 2013
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedfrom - ↑ Mid Week Wire, "PA-8: Marseglia endorses Strouse," accessed November 25, 2013
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Politics PA, "PA-8: Strouse Picks Up PeacePAC Endorsement," accessed November 12, 2013
- ↑ Politics PA, "Pelosi To Hold Fundraiser For Parrish and Strouse," January 29, 2014
