Representative John A. Boccieri

John Stephen Anthony Boccieri (born October 5, 1969) is an American aviator, military veteran, and Democratic politician who served as a Representative from Ohio in the United States Congress from 2009 to 2011. He represented Ohio’s 16th congressional district for one term in the U.S. House of Representatives, contributing to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, and later returned to state office in the Ohio House of Representatives. Over the course of his career, he has also served in the Ohio State Senate, worked as a commercial airline pilot, and remained active in aviation and public affairs. Boccieri resides in Poland, Ohio.

Boccieri was born in Youngstown, Ohio, where he graduated from Ursuline High School in 1988. He attended St. Bonaventure University in New York, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1992. An accomplished athlete, he played one season of minor league baseball in the independent Frontier League following his college graduation. After this brief professional sports career, he began working in government, serving on the staff of several members of the Ohio House of Representatives, an experience that introduced him to the workings of state government and legislative procedure.

While beginning his public service career, Boccieri also pursued advanced education and military service. He joined the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant and went on to earn two master’s degrees from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri: a Master of Arts in 1992 and a Master of Public Administration in 1996. As an Air Force officer and later a member of the Air Force Reserve, he flew the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. He was forward deployed several times and served in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, taking leaves of absence from the Ohio Legislature to fulfill his military obligations. His service as an aviator and military officer became a central element of his public identity and later political campaigns.

After leaving active duty in the Air Force, Boccieri re-entered elective politics in Ohio. In 2000 he ran for and won election to the Ohio House of Representatives from the 61st District, marking the beginning of his legislative career. He served in the Ohio House through the early 2000s, building a record on state issues while continuing his reserve military service. In 2006 he successfully ran for the Ohio State Senate, winning the 33rd District seat unopposed. His tenure in the State Senate further elevated his profile within the Democratic Party and positioned him for a bid for federal office.

Throughout 2007 there was growing speculation that Boccieri would challenge longtime Republican U.S. Representative Ralph Regula for Ohio’s 16th congressional district, a seat Regula had held for 36 years. When Regula announced his retirement later that year, Boccieri entered an open race. He won the Democratic primary decisively, defeating State Representative Mary Cirelli with 64 percent of the vote. In the 2008 general election he faced Republican State Senator Kirk Schuring and prevailed, becoming the first Democrat to represent the 16th District in 58 years. He took office on January 3, 2009, serving one term in the 111th Congress.

During his congressional service from 2009 to 2011, Boccieri served on the Committee on Agriculture, including its Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research, and on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where he sat on the Subcommittee on Aviation and the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. He participated actively in the legislative process at a time marked by economic crisis and major policy debates. In the 111th Congress he voted for the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 and supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the economic stimulus package enacted in response to the Great Recession. He also voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the landmark health care reform law. In his memoir A Promised Land, President Barack Obama later described Boccieri as a “rising star” of the Democratic Party and one of the political newcomers who chose to back the health care reform bill despite the political risks. On October 30, 2010, during his reelection campaign, Boccieri briefly left the stage while former President Bill Clinton was delivering a speech after learning that his pregnant wife had gone into labor.

In the 2010 midterm elections, held in an overwhelmingly Republican cycle, Boccieri sought a second term but was defeated. On November 2, 2010, he lost his bid for reelection to Republican businessman Jim Renacci, receiving approximately 41 percent of the vote to Renacci’s 52 percent, with a Libertarian candidate taking the remaining share. His term in Congress concluded on January 3, 2011. Despite the loss, his congressional tenure reflected both his district’s changing political landscape and his willingness to support major national legislation.

Boccieri returned to state-level politics several years later. On September 29, 2015, he was appointed to the Ohio House of Representatives to fill the 59th District vacancy created by the resignation of Representative Ron Gerberry. In this role he again represented constituents in the Mahoning Valley area. He chose not to seek reelection to the House in 2018, instead running for the 33rd District seat in the Ohio State Senate. In the 2018 general election he was defeated by Republican Michael Rulli, and he left office after this unsuccessful bid for the State Senate.

Following his departure from elective office, Boccieri continued his aviation career, becoming a commercial airline pilot for United Airlines. He has been active in the Airline Pilots Association, reflecting his longstanding engagement with aviation policy and labor issues. During the Biden administration he was considered for appointment as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, though he was ultimately not selected for the position. Throughout his career, Boccieri has combined military service, legislative experience at both the state and federal levels, and professional aviation work while maintaining his residence in Poland, Ohio.