A member of the Republican Party, he is a Korean War veteran, having served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy.

In 1966, Ruppe was the Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives from Michigan's 11th congressional district.

After leaving Congress, Ruppe was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 1982 against Donald Riegle.

His wife, Loret Miller Ruppe, who he married in 1957, was a Presidential Elector for Michigan in 1980, Director of the Peace Corps from 1981 to 1989, and U.S.

Ruppe is a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Rotary International and currently resides in Bethesda, Maryland.