Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher (/ˈwɜːrzəlbɑːkər/ WUR-zəl-bah-kər; December 3, 1973 – August 27, 2023), commonly known as "Joe the Plumber", was an American conservative activist and commentator.

After he told Senator Obama that he was interested in purchasing a small plumbing business, Wurzelbacher was given the moniker "Joe the Plumber" by the McCain–Palin campaign.

[3] On October 12, 2008, during a campaign break before the final presidential debate at Hofstra University, Obama visited a working-class neighborhood in Toledo, Ohio.

[17] Wurzelbacher spoke to Katie Couric of CBS Evening News on October 15, shortly after the conclusion of the final debate.

Asked whether Obama's proposed $250,000 tax threshold would affect him, Wurzelbacher replied: "Not right now at presently, but [...] he's going to do that now for people who make $250,000 a year.

"[18] He also said: "I asked the question but I still got a tap dance...almost as good as Sammy Davis Jr."[18] Wurzelbacher held a press conference at his home on the morning of October 16, following the debates, where he refused to express support for either candidate.

Barb Losie, deputy clerk of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, said "there is a 99 percent chance [Wurzelbacher] doesn't know about the lien, unless he did a credit report or was ready to pay his taxes.

The question Joe asked about our economy is important, because Senator Obama's plan would raise taxes on small businesses that employ 16 million Americans.

Obama then promoted a plan for middle-class tax cuts and "asked for a show of hands at the rally in the Richmond Coliseum from those making less than $250,000.

[34] Earlier in the day, at a rally in Defiance, Ohio, McCain thought that Wurzelbacher was supposed to be in the crowd and called for him to stand up.

When it became clear that he wasn't in attendance, McCain ended the silence by telling the whole crowd instead to stand up, stating, "You're all Joe the Plumber.

[16] As part of the background on McCain's use of "Joe the Plumber" during the 2008 campaign, several media outlets researched his professional plumbing credentials.

"Mr. Joseph [business manager of the local union] said Mr. Wurzelbacher could only legally work in the townships, but not in any municipality in Lucas County or elsewhere in the country.

[38] Prior to the 2008 election, an employee of Ohio's Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), at the behest of its director, Helen Jones-Kelley, used state computers to search for information on Joe Wurzelbacher.

[44] On March 5, 2009, on behalf of Wurzelbacher, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Columbus[45] charging that Jones-Kelley and fellow ODJFS employees Fred Williams and Doug Thompson improperly searched "confidential state databases" in an attempt to retaliate against Wurzelbacher's criticism of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.

"[47] Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, stated "no American should be investigated for simply asking a question of a public official.

[47] On August 4, 2010, the U.S District Court in Columbus dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that the state database search did not amount to a constitutional violation of the right to privacy.

[50] On October 14, 2009, the Columbus Dispatch reported that a former contractor for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police had been charged with "rummaging" through state computers to retrieve confidential information about Wurzelbacher.

[51] In 2008, Wurzelbacher signed with a publicity management agent regarding media relationships, including "a possible record deal with a major label, personal appearances, and corporate sponsorships.

"[52] In November 2008, Wurzelbacher was hired for a series of commercials reminding people to convert analog television to digital.

[53][54] Wurzelbacher was hired to help consumers understand the DTV transition in the United States through a series of videos designed to explain the changeover.

[62] On December 10, 2008, it was reported that Wurzelbacher also criticized McCain for voting for the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, also known as the bank bailout.

His first assignment involved visiting Israel for ten days during the Gaza War, with his reporting focusing on the Israeli experience of the conflict.

[69][70] In Wisconsin, in February 2011, he spoke at a counter-demonstration during protests against Governor Scott Walker's attempts to abolish collective bargaining rights of some public employees.

[citation needed] In February 2014, Wurzelbacher took a job at a Jeep plant which required him to be a member of the United Auto Workers.

[78] After his meeting with Barack Obama, a campaign to draft Wurzelbacher to run for the United States House of Representatives in the 2010 election started with the website joewurzelbacher2010.com.

[87] On October 7, 2011, Wurzelbacher filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to challenge Democratic representative Marcy Kaptur in the 2012 race for Ohio's 9th congressional seat.

[88] In the March 6, 2012, primary, Wurzelbacher gained the nomination as the Republican candidate in the race, defeating challenger Steven Kraus.

[89] He ran in the November 2012 general election against Kaptur, who had won the Democratic primary against Dennis Kucinich after the two incumbents' respective Congressional districts were collapsed into one as a result of post-2010 Census redistricting by the state's Republican-controlled legislature.

During a campaign rally for Arizona State Senator Lori Klein, Wurzelbacher said, "For years I've said, you know, put a damn fence on the border, going to Mexico and start shooting.