Joe Walsh (Illinois politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Walsh
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 8th district |
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In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013 |
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Preceded by | Melissa Bean |
Succeeded by | Tammy Duckworth |
Personal details | |
Born |
William Joseph Walsh
December 27, 1961 North Barrington, Illinois, U.S. |
Political party | Republican (until 2020) Independent (2020-present) |
Spouses |
Laura Walsh
(m. 1987; div. 2002)Helene Miller
(m. 2006) |
Children | 5 |
Education | Grinnell College University of Iowa (BA) University of Chicago (MPP) |
William Joseph Walsh (born December 27, 1961) is an American politician, talk radio host, former social worker, and former 2020 Republican presidential candidate who served one term in the United States House of Representatives representing IL's 8th congressional district.
Contents
Early life and education
Walsh was born and raised in the Chicago suburb of North Barrington, the fifth of nine children of Susan (Stanley) and Charles Melville Walsh, a real estate mortgage banker who had an appraisal business. He graduated from Barrington High School in 1980, where he was the student body president and active in sports. He attended Grinnell College then earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Iowa in 1985. In the mid-1980s, he embarked on an acting career, taking lessons in stage, theater and television at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City and Los Angeles. He completed a Master of Public Policy at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy Studies in 1991.
Career
Walsh began his career as a social worker providing education and job skills training to students in low income areas, gradually becoming more politically active. He had unsuccessfully campaigned for Congress in 1996 and the Illinois House of Representatives in 1998, but was elected to the U.S. House in 2010, defeating three-term incumbent Melissa Bean.
During his time in Congress, Walsh maintained a no-compromise approach to legislating that included rejecting any tax increases. He consistently voted against raising the federal debt ceiling and authored a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution. Walsh rejected the scientific consensus on climate change and supported tougher border control.
As a result of redistricting following the 2010 United States Census, Walsh's district was redrawn by the Democratic-controlled Illinois General Assembly in 2012. While he initially planned to run in the newly drawn 14th district against fellow Republican Representative Randy Hultgren, he eventually decided to run in the remapped 8th district against Democratic candidate Tammy Duckworth. Walsh was defeated by Duckworth in the general election on November 6, 2012. After leaving office, Walsh began hosting a talk radio show.
Committee assignments
For the 112th Congress, Walsh was appointed to leadership positions on the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security (vice chairman), and the House Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth (chairman). A list of all of his former committee assignments follows:
- Committee on Homeland Security
- Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence
- Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications
- Subcommittee on Transportation Security (Vice Chair)
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives
- Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs
- Committee on Small Business
- Subcommittee on Healthcare and Technology
- Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations
Caucus memberships
Walsh held other memberships related to his work as a congressman including: the Congressional Hockey Caucus, the House Republican Israel Caucus, the Republican Study Committee and the Tea Party Caucus.
2020 presidential campaign
Though initially a strong supporter of Donald Trump, Walsh became increasingly critical of the president and, on August 25, 2019, he announced his presidential campaign in opposition to Trump. He dropped out of the race on February 7, 2020, after a poor showing in the Iowa caucus, and subsequently left the party. He later endorsed and voted for Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who won the election.
Political positions
Economics
On taxes, Walsh stated he favors extending the Bush tax cuts, abolishing the estate tax, and cutting both the capital gains and corporate tax rates. He blamed joblessness on a reluctance by small businesses to hire and traced that reluctance to an uncertainty on tax policy.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Walsh supported the idea of businesses being compensated for a mandatory lockdown.
Medicare and Social Security
On entitlement reform, he suggested cuts would have to be made. "The first thing we need to do is acknowledge that everybody is going to have to give on Social Security reform and Medicare reform," he said. Walsh opposes the extension of unemployment benefits. He said the benefits have already been extended for too long and that attention should be paid to the cost. Following President Obama's 2011 State of the Union address, Walsh remarked that he did not believe there should be a social safety net because it is not in the Constitution.
Environment
On global warming, he described the science behind it as "not definitive" and that U.S. economic interests should come first in any discussion of climate agreements.
By 2019, Walsh changed his stance, accepting that climate change is real.
Immigration
Walsh also criticized President Obama's immigration policies, saying the president had made only token efforts toward securing the borders. In May 2011, while holding a toy alligator in his hand, Walsh announced on the House floor that he would support tough border legislation even if it involved building moats and filling them with alligators.
Personal life
Walsh has been married twice, and has three children and two stepchildren. His second marriage, in 2006, was to Helene Miller, who served as an Illinois state representative from 2018 to 2019.
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Sidney Yates (incumbent) | 124,319 | 63.4 | |
Republican | Joe Walsh | 71,763 | 36.6 | |
Total votes | 196,082 | 100 | ||
Turnout | 66 | |||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Jeffrey Schoenberg (incumbent) | 23,340 | 62 | |
Republican | Joe Walsh | 14,324 | 38 | |
Total votes | 37,664 | 100 | ||
Turnout | 52 | |||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Joe Walsh | 16,162 | 34.2 | |
Republican | Dirk Beveridge | 11,708 | 24.7 | |
Republican | Maria Rodriguez | 9,803 | 20.7 | |
Republican | Chris Geissler | 4,267 | 9.0 | |
Republican | John Dawson | 3,921 | 8.3 | |
Republican | Greg Jacobs | 1,445 | 3.1 | |
Total votes | 47,306 | 100 | ||
Turnout | 23 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Joe Walsh | 98,115 | 48.5 | |||
Democratic | Melissa Bean (incumbent) | 97,824 | 48.3 | |||
Green | Bill Scheurer | 6,494 | 3.2 | |||
Total votes | 202,433 | 100.0 | ||||
Republican gain from Democrat |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Joe Walsh (incumbent) | 35,102 | 99.9 | |
Republican | Robert Canfield (write-in) | 54 | 0.1 | |
Total votes | 35,156 | 100 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Tammy Duckworth | 123,206 | 54.7 | |||
Republican | Joe Walsh (incumbent) | 101,860 | 45.3 | |||
Total votes | 225,066 | 100 | ||||
Democrat gain from Republican |
See also
In Spanish: Joe Walsh (político) para niños
- List of Tea Party politicians