Samuel Wurzelbacher
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This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates. |
Samuel "Joe" Wurzelbacher was a 2012 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 9th Congressional District of Ohio.[1]
Campaign themes
2012
On his 2012 campaign website, Wurzelbacher outlined his central campaign themes:
- " I (along with other freedom-loving Americans) have spent the last 3 years watching now President Obama make good on his threat of spreading the wealth around. It’s not working for us. Rather than spreading the wealth around, he’s making EVERYONE poor to gain political control. We all have to work to stop this insanity. I am choosing not to be a spectator in the governing of this country. I am choosing to fight the power grabs and corruption that is permeating every level of our government. I am running for Congress in the 9th District of Ohio. And I’m asking you to stand with me. Enough is enough. "
Primary endorsements
Elections
2012
Wurzelbacher lost to incumbent Marcy Kaptur.[2] Wurzelbacher ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Ohio's 9th District. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run was December 7 2011. Wurzelbacher defeated Steven Kraus in the March 6, 2012 Republican primary. He faces incumbent Marcy Kaptur in the general election on November 6, 2012.[3]
The Washington Post listed the House of Representatives elections in Ohio in 2012 as one of the 10 states that could have determined whether Democrats retook the House or Republicans held their majority in 2013.[4] Ohio tied with Pennsylvania for 9th on the list.[4]
An October 2012 article in The Daily named Wurzelbacher one of the 20 worst candidates in 2012.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Marcy Kaptur Incumbent |
73% | 217,771 | |
| Republican | Samuel Wurzelbacher | 23% | 68,668 | |
| Libertarian | Sean Stipe | 3.9% | 11,725 | |
| Total Votes | 298,164 | |||
| Source: Ohio Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Samuel Wurzelbacher |
51.4% | 15,166 |
| Steven Kraus | 48.6% | 14,323 |
| Total Votes | 29,489 | |
Campaign finance summary
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
After leaving the Air Force in 1996, Wurzelbacher started work as a communications engineer, but later quit to become a plumber so he could spend more time with his son. Wurzelbacher briefly became a political celebrity of sorts during the 2008 presidential election cycle when questions he asked then-candidate Barack Obama about his tax policy drew intense media attention. Shortly after that encounter, Republican nominee John McCain cited Wurzelbacher during one of the presidential debates as someone who would be negatively affected by Obama's policies.[6]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Samuel + Wurzelbacher + Ohio + Congress + House
- All stories may not be relevant to this legislator due to the nature of the search engine.
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Reuters Joe the Plumber announces run for Congress December 31, 2011
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Ohio," accessed November 11, 2012
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Unofficial election results," accessed March 6, 2012
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Washington Post, "The 10 states that will determine control of the House in 2012," accessed April 25, 2012
- ↑ The Daily, "The worst candidates of 2012," accessed October 29, 2012
- ↑ Boston.com McCain defends Joe the plumber December 31, 2011
