Joe Walsh

William Joseph Walsh born December 27 1961 is an American politician talk radio host former social worker and former 2020 Republican Party presidential candidate who served one term in the United States House of Representatives representing Illinoiss 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 lowincome 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 US House in 2010 defeating threeterm 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