Joe Walsh | Will There Be A Viable Third Party In The United States? | OAP #40

Chase Geiser is joined by Joe Walsh.

Walsh was born in 1961 in North Barrington, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He earned his bachelor's in English from the University of Iowa in 1985. After graduation, Walsh studied acting, and then earned a master's in public policy from the University of Chicago in 1991.[5]

Walsh worked as a community college teacher, fundraiser, and researcher for private foundations and advocacy groups, including Americans for Limited Government, the United Republican Fund, and the John and Kathleen Buck Family Foundation.[6]

He first ran for elected office in 1996, when he challenged Rep. Sidney Yates (D) for U.S. House.[6]

Walsh defeated Melissa Bean (D) to represent Illinois' 8th Congressional District in 2010 as part of the wave election that saw 63 seats change hands from Democrats to Republicans. Walsh lost his re-election bid in 2012 to Tammy Duckworth (D).[6]

Following his exit from Congress, Walsh launched The Joe Walsh Show, a conservative talk radio show. It debuted on WIND Chicago in March 2013, and began receiving syndication in other major U.S. cities by early 2014. In February 2017, it was picked up for national syndication by the Salem Radio Network, and became part of Newsmax TV in May 2018.

Walsh ran for President of the United States in 2020.