Joe Hoeffel

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Joe Hoeffel
Joe Hoeffel
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 13th district
In office
1999–2005
Preceded by Jon D. Fox
Succeeded by Allyson Schwartz
Born September 3, 1950 (1950-09-03) (age 57)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Political party Democratic
Spouse Francesca Hoeffel

Joseph M. "Joe" Hoeffel III (pronounced "Huffle") (born September 3, 1950) is a Democratic U.S. politician from the state of Pennsylvania. He served three terms in Congress representing the Montgomery County-based 13th congressional district, and is currently vice-chair for the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

Hoeffel was born in Philadelphia[1]. He attended Boston University and received his Juris Doctor degree from Temple University. He has been married for 26 years to Francesca Hoeffel. They live in Abington Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, and have two children.

His grandfather, also named Joseph M. "Joe" Hoeffel, served as coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1921[2].

Contents

[edit] Political career

Hoeffel served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1977 through 1985, and was the first Democrat to represent the Abington area since World War I.[3]

He gave up his seat in a bid for the 13th Congressional District in 1984, and was defeated by longterm incumbent Lawrence Coughlin. Hoeffel sought a rematch in 1986, and was defeated again. After several years out of politics, Hoeffel won a seat on the Montgomery County Commission in 1991. In a surprise to the political establishment, Hoeffel supported Republican Mario Mele for Commission chairman over Jon D. Fox.[4]

[edit] Career in Congress

In 1996, Hoeffel made a third run at Congress taking on his former colleague on the Montgomery County Commission, Jon D. Fox, now a freshman Congressman. That year, Fox hung onto his seat by an 84-vote margin. [5] However, in 1998, in his fourth attempt, Hoeffel broke through. Hobbled by a tough Republican primary and the fallout from the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, Fox could not hang on a second time. Hoeffel won by more than 5,000 votes.[6] Hoeffel became only the second Democrat to represent the Montgomery County-based district in 86 years.

He won re-election twice, though not without difficulty. In 2000 he won an expensive race against Republican State Senator Stewart Greenleaf, becoming the first Democrat to serve more than one term in the district in decades. In 2002, he defeated wealthy ophthalmologist Melissa Brown by less than expected; the 13th had been made somewhat more Democratic with the addition of part of Philadelphia.

In Congress, Hoeffel was a member of two House committees: the International Relations and the Transportation and Infrastructure.

On July 20, 2004, Hoeffel became the third sitting U.S. Congressman in one week, following Charles Rangel and Bobby Rush, to be arrested for trespassing while protesting alleged human rights violations in front of the Sudanese Embassy. US Senator Arlen Specter, Hoeffel's Republican opponent in the 2004 US Senate race, criticized the arrest as a publicity stunt.

Rather than holding onto his seat, Hoeffel decided in 2004 to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Arlen Specter. In the election held on November 2, 2004, Hoeffel was defeated by more than ten points to Specter, 53%-42%, and only carried four counties.[7] Hoeffel was at a considerable disadvantage because of Specter's popularity in the Philadelphia suburbs.

[edit] After Congress

Many speculated that Hoeffel would attempt to run against U.S. Senator Rick Santorum in 2006. However, Hoeffel endorsed Bob Casey, Jr. in that race; Casey went on to defeat the two-term incumbent by a landslide.

Hoeffel announced that he would run for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania in March 2006 against incumbent Catherine Baker Knoll and dropped out of the race a day later. Governor Ed Rendell convinced Hoeffel that the Democratic ticket needed geographic balance; Knoll is from Allegheny County; Rendell is from Philadelphia.[8] The Democratic Committees of Bucks and Chester Counties had overwhelmingly voted to endorse him over Knoll. [9]

In July 2006, Rendell named Hoeffel the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development where he would oversee the International Commerce Office of the DCED.

In February 2007, Hoeffel announced that he would resign his post in order to run for the Montgomery County Commission with incumbent Ruth Damsker. Hoeffel's and Damsker's opponents were incumbent Jim Matthews and district attorney Bruce Castor. [10]

Hopes were high that the Democrats could win majority control on the commission due to party gains in the county and a fractured Republican team. Hoeffel finished second, behind Castor, winning a seat on the Commission, but his running mate fell short, keeping control in Republican hands.[11] However, thanks to a deal with Matthews, Hoeffel became Vice Chairman of the Commission, in exchange for supporting Matthews' bid to become Chairman over Castor. [12]

Hoeffel is a member of the Dean Dozen, a group of candidates for local and national office (although numerically far more than twelve, but grouped in twelves) endorsed by former presidential candidate Howard Dean and his Democracy for America organization.

He is an endorser of the Genocide Intervention Network.

[edit] Electoral history

Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district: Results 1996–2002[13]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
1996 Joseph M. Hoeffel 120,220 49% Jon D. Fox 120,304 49% Thomas Patrick Burke Libertarian 4,930 2% Bill Ryan Natural Law 525 <1%
1998 Joseph M. Hoeffel 95,105 52% Jon D. Fox 85,915 47% Thomas Patrick Burke Libertarian 3,470 2%
2000 Joseph M. Hoeffel 146,026 53% Stewart J. Greenleaf 126,501 46% Ken Cavanaugh Libertarian 4,224 2%
2002 Joseph M. Hoeffel 107,945 51% Melissa Brown 100,295 47% John P. McDermott Constitution 3,627 2%
Pennsylvania Senator (Class III): 2004 Results[13]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
2004 Joseph M. Hoeffel 2,334,126 42% Arlen Specter 2,925,080 53% James Clymer Constitution 220,056 4% Betsy Summers Libertarian 79,263 1% *
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2004, write-ins received 580 votes.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/elections/2004/candidates/22879/
  2. ^ Hoeffel was star player in high school, college, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/27/01
  3. ^ Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Hoeffel Biography Page
  4. ^ Karen E. Quinones Miller, Mele Won't Give Up Chairmanship, as Informally Planned, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/9/98
  5. ^ 1996 General Election Results, ourcampaigns.com, 11/5/96
  6. ^ 1998 General Election Results, ourcampaigns.com, 11/3/98
  7. ^ 2004 General Election Results, ourcampaigns.com, 11/2/04
  8. ^ Hoeffel relents on lieutenant governor race , Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/9/06
  9. ^ Press Release, Bucks County Democratic Party
  10. ^ Hoeffel planning to run again for Montco commissioner, Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/15/07
  11. ^ County Republicans retain power , Margaret Gibbons, The Reporter (Lansdale, PA), 11/6/07
  12. ^ Emilie Lounsberry, Philadelphia Inquirer, GOP and Dems split Montco; Castor on the outs, 12/18/2007
  13. ^ a b Election Statistics. Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Jon D. Fox		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district
1999–2005		 Succeeded by
Allyson Schwartz