Ray Bilger

Ray Bilger for PA-15

Born in Bellefonte, Ray grew up in Pleasant Gap, a small town in rural Centre County. His father was a factory worker, machinist and veteran, who loved road trips, and his mother raised three children and was a talented cake decorator.

Ray was brought up with strong working-class values of self-reliance and looking out for others, values that were honed in Boy Scouts, at Bellefonte high school, and in military service, entering the Air Force as an Airborne Cryptologic Linguist in August 1986.

Ray served in both Desert Shield and Desert Storm; over a career spanning 35 years and nearly as many countries, he distinguished himself as a security officer and intelligence analyst, leading teams for the Air Force, National Security Agency, and State Department. Most recently, from 2015-2017, he was NSA Technical Director for Cyber Analysis.

Although often overseas, Ray never lost touch with his roots, traveling home to central PA often to visit family and to help renovate the home on the slopes of Mount Nittany that Ray and his wife have occupied since his mother’s death in 2020.

Ray is running for Congress to honor this family legacy. His parents scrimped and saved so that their three children could enjoy a better life, but that American dream now seems to be in peril. Across central PA, life is getting harder and many younger folks are leaving.

Ray wants to help rebuild the 15th Congressional District by bringing opportunity and hope back to rural PA. His campaign is just beginning, and whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or Independent, Ray wants to hear your story.

What are the issues that matter most to you? How can we work together to make Central PA a destination, a great place to work and play?