Back جو والش (سياسي) Arabic جو والش (سیاستچی) AZB Joe Walsh (Politiker, 1961) German Joe Walsh (político) Spanish جو والش (سیاستمدار) Persian Joe Walsh (homme politique américain) French Ջո Ուոլշ Armenian ジョー・ウォルシュ (政治家) Japanese Joe Walsh (ahli politik Amerika) Malay Joe Walsh (politicus) Dutch
Joe Walsh | |
|---|---|
&sq=Google&lang=en&file=File:Rep_Joe_Walsh_(1).jpg) Official portrait, 2011 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 8th district | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013 | |
| 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)[1] |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Grinnell College University of Iowa (BA) University of Chicago (MPP) |
| Website | Podcast website |
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 Illinois's 8th congressional district.
Born and raised in the Chicago metropolitan area, 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. Walsh 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. Though he received little Republican Party support in his bid against Bean, he was popular with the Tea Party movement. In the 1990s, he identified as a moderate Republican, but he later became a conservative and a Tea Party activist.
During his time in Congress, Walsh was criticized for his often personal attacks against members of the Democratic Party and, specifically, President Barack Obama. He accused the president of abandoning the U.S.–Israel alliance and bankrupting the country. 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. Later, during his presidential campaign, Walsh expressed regret for some of the comments and stances he made during his time in Congress.
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. 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.[2] He later endorsed and voted for Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who won the election.
- ^ Lemon, Jason (May 30, 2021). "Ex-GOP Rep. Joe Walsh Calls for 'Better and New' Alternative to Republican Party". Newsweek. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ Walsh, Joe [@WalshFreedom] (October 24, 2020). "I was a lifelong Republican. I left the Party in February. Because the Party became a cult. And I didn't want to belong to a cult. The cult leader will lose in 10 days. But he will remain the cult leader. And the Party will remain a cult. Which is why we need something new" (Tweet). Retrieved December 24, 2020 – via Twitter.