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| Representative Glenn Thompson (Pennsylvania politician) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Glenn Thompson |
| Office | U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district |
| Term start | January 3, 2009 |
| Predecessor | John Peterson |
| Birth date | December 31, 1959 |
| Birth place | Bellefonte, Pennsylvania |
| Party | Republican Party |
| Spouse | Carolyn Thompson |
| Alma mater | Pennsylvania State University |
| Profession | Farmer, educator, politician |
Representative Glenn Thompson (Pennsylvania politician) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania's congressional district since 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he represents a district in north-central and northwestern Pennsylvania that includes parts of the Appalachian Plateau and the Pennsylvania Wilds. Prior to serving in the United States House of Representatives, he served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and worked in agricultural education and nonprofit leadership.
Thompson was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania and raised on a farm in Centre County. He graduated from State College Area High School before attending Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and a Master of Education. During his time at Penn State University, he was involved with campus organizations tied to agricultural extension and 4-H youth programs, reflecting ties to regional institutions such as the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and local cooperative extension services.
After college, Thompson worked as an agricultural educator in the Pennsylvania FFA Association and as an instructor at vocational schools in Centre County. He later served in leadership roles with nonprofit organizations focused on rural development and agricultural marketing, including positions coordinating programs with the United States Department of Agriculture and regional agricultural alliances. Thompson entered state politics with election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1998, representing a district that included rural communities and small towns, where he focused on issues connected to farming, natural resources, and local economic development.
Thompson was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2008, succeeding John Peterson after Peterson's retirement. He has been reelected multiple times, serving through several United States congressional districts redistricting cycles, including the post-2010 and post-2020 redistricting processes administered by the Pennsylvania Redistricting Commission. In Congress he has been involved in legislation affecting rural health care, agricultural policy, energy development in the Marcellus Shale region, and federal land management, interacting with federal entities such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of the Interior.
Thompson has served on the United States House Committee on Agriculture and the United States House Committee on Natural Resources, where he worked on farm bill provisions and issues related to national forests, public lands, and energy leasing. He has been a member of bipartisan and Republican caucuses including the Congressional Western Caucus, the House Rural Caucus, and the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, engaging with stakeholders such as the National Farmers Union and the American Farm Bureau Federation on policy development.
Thompson's legislative priorities have emphasized farm policy, rural health, opioid response, and natural resource management. He has sponsored and co-sponsored legislation on the Farm Bill reauthorizations, initiatives to expand rural broadband through programs administered by the Federal Communications Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture, and bills aimed at strengthening rural hospitals in coordination with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Thompson supported measures addressing the opioid epidemic including grants and treatment funding, and he co-sponsored legislation promoting best practices for timber management on public lands in coordination with the United States Forest Service.
Thompson's positions align with mainstream Republican policy on taxation, regulatory reform, and energy development, while emphasizing agricultural and rural priorities. He has advocated for expanded domestic energy production including natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale, supported tax policies intended to benefit small businesses and farms consistent with proposals from the United States Department of the Treasury, and backed regulatory relief initiatives proposed during the Trump administration. On health policy he has supported market-based reforms and targeted funding for rural providers, interacting with debates over Affordable Care Act implementation. He has also taken positions on federal land use that favor multiple-use policies promoted by Western state delegations and conservation groups.
Thompson resides in Centre County, Pennsylvania with his wife, Carolyn, and their family. He is a licensed farmer and continues involvement with agricultural organizations such as the Future Farmers of America and regional conservation districts. He has been active with local civic institutions, volunteer firefighting organizations, and faith-based communities in central Pennsylvania, maintaining ties to educational institutions including Pennsylvania State University where he completed his degrees.
Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Category:Pennsylvania Republicans Category:Pennsylvania State University alumni