Joe Walsh is a Tea Party Conservative first and a proud Republican second. Born and raised in North Barrington, Illinois, Joe comes from a big Irish Catholic family and is the 5th of nine children.
After graduating from Barrington High School, Joe attended Grinnell College in Iowa where he was recruited to play football. After two years he transferred to the University of Iowa where he earned his BA in English. Joe then went on to earn an AM in Public Policy from the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy
Joe has dedicated his life to service. He began his career working in the inner-city of Chicago, where he taught and developed education and work-related programs for high school dropouts with Jobs for Youth.
In 1994, Joe became the Public Policy Director at The Heartland Institute, a national think tank focused on domestic public policy issues. He focused on education reform issues and launched a state-wide grassroots school reform movement. In 1997, he became Executive Director of the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation, a Chicago-based organization which gives high school scholarships to low-income Chicago eighth graders. He tripled the size of the organization in terms of funds raised and kids served and engaged in public speaking on education reform around the country.
In 2001, Joe launched The Lead Foundation, a political organization designed to educate the public on free market solutions to public policy issues to help get free market state legislators elected in states around the country. He went on to become the Development Head for the American Education Reform Council, a leading national school reform organization and a Major Gifts Officer for The Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation, the nation’s most influential school choice advocacy organization. In a full and part time capacity, he has also raised funds and awareness for Fabretto, a Nicaraguan organization which uses education and micro enterprise to deliver Nicaraguan children from poverty.
Prior to running for Congress, Joe had increased his focus on business development and venture capital. In 2005 he became Vice President of New Business Development for Advantage Futures, a trading firm at the Chicago Board of Trade. In 2007 he became a Director with Michigan Avenue Ventures, a Chicago-based boutique investment banking group specializing in early stage capital raises across industries
Teaching is one of Joe’s passions. In addition to teaching at Jobs For Youth, he has also taught American Government and American history at the Hebrew Theological College and at Oakton Community College. Joe often says that when he is done with politics he will go back to teaching.
Elected to the United States Congress in 2010, Joe has held true to his campaign pledges and refused his Congressional health benefits and pension package. When in Washington, Joe sleeps in his office and comes home every weekend to hold town halls and meet with constituents. No member of Congress has held more town halls this past year than Congressman Joe Walsh.
Passionate about many issues, Joe has been particularly vocal in urging Congress to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment. He is a strong advocate for the State of Israel and Second Amendment rights. Joe currently serves on the Small Business Committee where he is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax & Capital Access, as well as on Homeland Security, where he is Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and he serves on the Oversight and Government Reform committee.
Joe lives in McHenry, Illinois with his wife Helene and their dog Lulu. Between them they have five children.
