Meet John Flerlage, Candidate for U.S. Congress

Whether Democrat, Republican or unaffiliated, the people who live in our district love and value their families, this community, and the principles that formed this great nation. And what do we want for our families and our community? We want to be safe and to prosper. We want a future for our children either here in Colorado or elsewhere in this great country.

I will provide leadership, take action to solve our problems and achieve results. I will meet with all parties, stand on principle, compromise on complex problems and implement solutions. I know this district and I understand the issues. I will not compromise on my core values, but I will take a pragmatic approach to the issues facing CD6 and our nation.

My guiding principles are simple: To support my family, community, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution which forms this great Nation. Support means giving, not simply taking and exploiting. It means contributing your fair share to the defense and welfare of this country.

I will follow these priorities as your Representative: Strength and Security; Rule of Law; Prosperity and Opportunity; and Protection of our Way of Life in the foothills and plains of CD6. The job of our government is to pass and enforce laws that solve problems without bankrupting the country. As a member of Congress, I intend to use my values, priorities and leadership to do just that.

I am running for Congress because I believe in service and a government that serves the people. For years our Representatives have been ineffective. The last Representative was focused entirely on a single issue. He had no other priorities. Our current Representative is a career politician and belongs to the party that has proven its inability to provide leadership, action and results.

Please take the time to get to know me and my campaign. The expansion of my website is ongoing and I urge you to visit it regularly to find out more about my positions on the many issues facing our nation and CD 6. The issues section is organized around the four priorities mentioned above: Security; Rule of Law; Prosperity and Opportunity; and Protection of Way of Life.

John Flerlage is currently an airline captain who served 22 years in the Marine Corps before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Marine Reserve in 2000. Over his eleven active-duty years and eleven years in the Reserves, John flew the F/A-18 Hornet and A-4 Skyhawk. He also served in various Squadron and Group level leadership and staff positions and taught classes in world affairs, strategic commitments and the operation of fighters and other tactical aircraft at the Marine aviation advanced tactics school. During his reserve years, John also volunteered and flew missions in support of NATO operations in Bosnia, and in 1996, he was chosen to fly the Hornet aboard the USS George Washington in the first Marine Reserve carrier qualifications to be held in over fifteen years.

In January, 1995, in anticipation of retiring from the Marine Reserve, John and his family settled in Littleton, CO, and since then, John has been readying himself to serve again, this time as the Representative from Colorado's 6th Congressional District. To prepare for his candidacy, John has been active in local (Jefferson County) politics, serving at the precinct (PCP) and house district level (Treasurer HD 28). He has also volunteered countless hours on local, congressional, and presidential campaigns.

John is currently a member of the leadership team of a start-up group called South JeffCo Democrats, and cites his election as an Obama delegate, first at his precinct caucus, followed by the Jefferson County, CD 6 and the Colorado State Conventions and Assemblies, as confirmation of his desire to pursue a political career.

While a freshman at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, John joined the Marine Corps officer training program in 1977. He earned a BA in mathematics from Colby College in 1980, and furthered his education by graduating from the Air Force Air War College in 2001.

John was born in Boston on January 29, 1958, and lived in Massachusetts, Maine, Virginia, Florida, Texas, Arizona and California during his school and Marine Corps years. He and his wife, Helena, moved from old Littleton in Arapahoe County to their home in south Jefferson County in 1997. He has volunteered regularly at the schools of his three children: David (21), who graduated from Columbine High School and now attends Columbia University; Lisa (16), currently a sophomore at Columbine; and Karl (11). John played varsity hockey throughout high school and college and continues to play on a local adult team. He particularly enjoys coaching hockey, at all age levels, including a stint as the high school coach at Columbine. John is also on the Governor's Council for Physical Fitness and believes strongly in proper fitness and nutrition for children especially in our schools.

As an airline pilot, John is a member of the Air Line Pilots Association and flies long haul international flights for the largest airline in the world, Delta Air Lines. He has had the great fortune to visit many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, affording him unique insight as a candidate for Congress.