John Fleming grew up in a working class family in Mississippi. After his father suddenly died, John, as a teenager, took on added responsibility for his disabled mother and his younger siblings. He worked his way through college and attended medical school on a Navy scholarship. John served six years in the Navy as a Medical Officer After his time in the U.S. Navy, John and his wife of 36 years, Cindy, settled in Minden, Louisiana. With a young family and no money in the bank, he started a medical practice that continues to serve the community today. He also began to build from scratch a group of non-medical small businesses that today provide hundreds of jobs in the region. John was first elected to Congress in 2008, to represent Louisiana’s Fourth Congressional District. The district covers most of western Louisiana, stretching from Caddo and Bossier parishes east to Union, and south to Beauregard, and then east again to include parts of St. Landry parish. The district has abundant assets, including the agriculture, defense, and energy industries.