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Joe Walsh
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 8th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Melissa Bean
Personal details
Born	(1961-12-27) December 27, 1961 (age 63) North Barrington, Illinois
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Helene Walsh, Laura Walsh (1987 - 2002, divorced)
Children	Five
Residence	McHenry, Illinois
Occupation	fundraiser
Website	walshforcongress.com

William Joseph "Joe" Walsh (born December 27, 1961) is the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 8th congressional district. He is a fundraiser and a Republican best known as a Tea Party activist. The district covers some of Chicago's northwestern and far north suburbs, including parts of Hoffman Estates, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Gurnee, Palatine, Mundelein, Zion, Barrington, McHenry, and Woodstock.

Early life, education, and career

Walsh was born and raised in North Barrington, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He grew up in a family of nine children. He graduated from Barrington High School. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Iowa and a Master of Public Policy from the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago.

He began his career working with the Jobs for Youth program in the inner-city Chicago area, teaching high school dropouts basic academic and job skills. He has taught American government and American history at the Oakton Community College.

Walsh has been married twice, and has five children. On July 28, 2011, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Walsh's ex-wife, Laura, was suing him for more than $117,000 for neglecting to pay child support payments. Walsh had told his ex-wife that he did not have the money, but he had loaned $35,000 to his 2010 campaign. Walsh's attorney called the claim "unfounded", saying that Walsh did not owe "anywhere near that amount."

Fundraising career

He was the Executive Director of the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund, overseeing an annual budget of $2 million. The fund is a Chicago-based privately funded school voucher program which gives high school scholarships to low-income students.

Walsh has advanced the issue of school choice while working for The Heartland Institute, a Midwest free market think tank. He raised funds for two organizations advocating this issue, the American Education Reform Council, and the Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation.

He raised nearly $1 million in the past five years for the Fabretto Children's Foundation, an international charity which uses education and micro-enterprise to deliver Nicaraguan children from poverty.

Walsh helped launch fiscally conservative organizations such as the Legislative Education Action Drive and the Americans for Limited Government. He worked for Ravenswood Advisors, a Chicago boutique investment banking group which focused on raising early stage investment capital for new and small businesses and entrepreneurs.

He also did consulting work with the United Republican Fund, an Illinois-state PAC helping to elect Republican state legislators.

He currently raises venture capital for a living.

Political positions

At his press conference after incumbent Melissa Bean conceded the election on November 17, 2010, Walsh listed some of his positions:

On global warming, he said the science behind it was "not definitive" and that U.S. economic interests should come first in any discussion of climate agreements.

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.

On extending unemployment benefits, he said he's opposed, even after telling reporters that there is nearly 11 percent unemployment in his district and that "people are hurting." Walsh said unemployment benefits probably already have been extended for too long and attention should be paid to the cost.

On taxes, he said 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.

He wrote a column for The Daily Caller stating that President Obama is "not Israel's friend," and later said that American Jews are not pro-Israel enough. He stated that in order to achieve peace in the Middle East he ( the congressman) would stand by Israel as "their advisor and protector". If Palestinians don't meet with the demands of Israel then they "will face the combined wrath of Israel and the United States".

Walsh also argued that the reason Obama had been elected was that voters "were in love with him because he pushed that magical button: a black man who was articulate, liberal, the whole white guilt, all of that.”.

Political campaigns

1996 U.S. Congressional campaign

Walsh won the Republican nomination for Illinois' 9th congressional district and faced longtime Democrat incumbent Sidney R. Yates in the general election. For nearly 50 years Yates, at 87 years old, represented the district where he created a reputation of being an unabashed liberal voice. Although Yates won with 67% of the vote, the then 34 year old Walsh pulled what even he (Walsh) admitted were "some outrageous" stunts to get attention, contributions, and votes. Such tactics included paying the doorman at Yates's Chicago apartment building $1,000 for being the first person to spot Yates in his district during the campaign. And, in August 1996, Walsh rented a hotel room, invited hundreds of people, and threw a party for Yates on his birthday, even though he didn't attend. In the last few days before Election Day, Walsh said he would find a statue of Lincoln or some other great American and hold a filibuster straight out of the film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to show how important he thought the campaign was.

In response to Walsh's "stunts", Yates said that age was not a factor and that the district was too liberal for a Republican. In addition, he refused to debate Walsh because he felt that the debates would be poorly attended, barely noticed by the press, and only favor his opponent. Yates tried to connect Walsh to Newt Gingrich. In response, Walsh tried to separate himself from the speaker and considered himself a "moderate conservative". Walsh claimed at the time to be a socially liberal Republican.

1998 Illinois State Representative campaign

Walsh challenged incumbent Democrat Jeffrey Schoenberg for the 58th district of the Illinois House of Representatives, which represents Wilmette and Evanston, Illinois. Walsh used education funding against the incumbent, criticizing Schoenberg for voting in favor of Governor Jim Edgar's school-funding reform bill in December 1997.

2010 U.S. Congressional campaign

On September 28, 2009, Walsh launched an exploratory committee to run for the United States House of Representatives in the Illinois's 8th congressional district. The district includes parts of the northwest Chicago suburbs: Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Gurnee, Palatine, Mundelein, Zion, Barrington, McHenry, and Woodstock. The district was represented by Democrat Melissa Bean, who was first elected in 2004, when she defeated Republican incumbent Phil Crane. In 2006, Bean was re-elected with 51% and in 2008 with 60%.

Bean was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Herald, and the Lake County News-Sun.

Walsh won the Republican primary election, taking about 34% of the vote in a 6 person field. Following the primary election, the Republican establishment refused to put much stock into the district. National Republican Congressional Committee member Tom Erickson said "In the primary, we had really liked Dirk Beveridge or Maria Rodriguez. Those are the two candidates who we thought really had the potential to make this a very competitive race."

Walsh criticized Bean for her votes for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and against the Stupak–Pitts Amendment. Walsh now describes himself as a Tea Party conservative activist. He obtained many endorsements including from two Tea Party organizations and conservative radio talk show host Tom Roeser.

As late as October, The New York Times forecast that Bean had an 88% chance at winning re-election. Even CQ Politics had the election as Safe Democrat. Both the national Democratic and Republican parties did not compete or spend any money in the district. Not even the state GOP helped out Walsh.

During 2010, Walsh's campaign raised considerably less money than Bean. However, Walsh narrowly defeated Bean by a margin of 291 votes when the race was finally called, two weeks after Election Day. Green Party candidate Bill Scheurer of Lindenhurst, meanwhile, collected a total of 6,494 votes overall.

U.S House of Representatives

Committee assignments

• 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

• Republican Study Committee
• Tea Party Caucus

Electoral history

References

1. ^ Symes, Frances (2010-11-03). "112th Congress: Leading at Press Time: Joe Walsh, R-Ill. (8th District)". CQ Politics. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
2. ^ Hinkel, Dan (2010-11-17). "Melissa Bean: I didn't underestimate Walsh". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-11-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
3. Lissau, Russell (2010-03-03). "What's next for Walsh? GOP unsure how foreclosure will play". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
4. Solano, Tony A. (2010-11-16). "Walsh leads by 290 as vote count concludes". Vernon Hills Review. Sun-Times Media. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
5. "Representative-elect Joe Walsh (IL)". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
6. ^ "About Joe Walsh for Congress | 8th Congressional District Illinois". Joe Walsh for Congress Committee. 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
7. ^ Pallasch, Abdon M. (July 27, 2011). "Tea Party Rep. Joe Walsh sued for $100,000 in child support". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2011-07-28.
8. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/60111.html
9. ^ "Candidate - Joseph Walsh". Our Campaigns. 2009-11-30. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
10. Weigel, David (2011-05-26). "Rep. Joe Walsh: He'll say anything, which is why he's interviewed everywhere". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
11. "President Obama is not Israel's friend". The Daily Caller. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
12. Sargent, Greg (2011-05-27). "GOP Rep. Walsh: Obama was elected because he is a `black man who was articulate' - The Plum Line". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
13. Neal, Steve (1996-10-15). "In search of Sidney Yates". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
14. Terry, Don (1996-10-24). "Illinois Lawmaker Proves a Tough Target for G.O.P." The New York Times. Evanston, Illinois. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
15. "Joe Walsh on Fox Chicago Sunday". Joe Walsh for Congress Committee. 2010-04-05. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
16. Spencer, LeAnn (1998-10-06). "School Funds Top District 58 Race Walsh Challenging Schoenberg in House". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
17. Spencer, LeAnn (1998-08-13). "Candidate Uses Bus To Drive Home Views On School Funding". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
18. "Joe Walsh Launches Exploratory Committee for IL CD-8". Illinois Review. 2009-09-28. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
19. "For the U.S. House". Chicago Tribune. 2010-10-07. Retrieved 2010-10-09.
20. "Complete list of Chicago Sun-Times endorsements". Chicago Sun-Times. 2010-10-23. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
21. "Congress, 8th District: Bean". Daily Herald. 2010-10-28. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
22. "Our View: Bean, Seals for Congress". Lake County News-Sun. 2010-10-14. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
23. Lissau, Russell (2010-03-04). "National GOP not putting stock in Walsh campaign". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
24. "Walsh Condems Bean Health Care Vote; Bill Will Increase Taxes, Kill Jobs, Raise Premiums, Hurt Families" (Press release). Joe Walsh for Congress Committee. 2009-11-07. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
25. "An Open Letter from Joe Walsh Your Tea Party/Conservative Candidate" (Press release). Joe Walsh for Congress Committee. 2010-01-20. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
26. "Endorsements". Joe Walsh for Congress Committee. 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
27. Sroka, Diana (2010-11-14). "Breaking down how Joe Walsh turned tide vs. Melissa Bean". Northwest Herald. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
28. ^ Moran, Dan (2010-11-17). "It's official: Walsh wins 8th District cliffhanger by 291 votes". Lake County News-Sun. Sun-Times Media. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
29. "Results of Contests For the U.S. House, District by District (1996)". The New York Times. 1996-11-07. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
30. "Ballots Cast: General Election - 11/3/1998, 58th Representative". Illinois State Board of Elections. 1998-11-03. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
31. "Ballots Cast: General Primary, 8th Congress - 2/2/2010". Illinois State Board of Elections. 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2010-11-18.

External links

• Congressman Joe Walsh official U.S. House site
• Joe Walsh for U.S. Congress official campaign site
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Questionnaire Answers from the Chicago Sun-Times
• Joe Walsh vs. Joe Walsh: The rock star wrestles with the congressional candidate, Patrick Goldstein and James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, January 27, 2010

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• 1961 births
• Living people
• American people of Irish descent
• Illinois Republicans
• Members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois
• University of Chicago alumni
• University of Iowa alumni