Joel Phelps

Republican Party

Education

High school

Hammond Baptist High School

Bachelor's

Purdue University

Personal

Profession

Engineer

Contact

Personal website

## Contents

* 1 Biography
* 2 Career
* 3 Campaign themes
* 3.1 2012
* 4 Elections
* 4.1 2012
* 5 Campaign donors
* 5.1 2012
* 6 Personal
* 7 See also
* 8 External links
* 9 Footnotes

Joel Phelps was a 2012 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 1st Congressional District of Indiana. He won the Republican primary.

He lost his race against Democratic incumbent Peter Visclosky on November 6, 2012.[1]

## Biography[edit]

Phelps was born on January 25, 1977, in Springfield, Illinois.

Education:[2]

* Hammond Baptist High School
* Purdue University

## Career[edit]

Phelps works as a process engineer.[2]

## Campaign themes[edit]

#### 2012[edit]

On his campaign website Phelps had 10 leading issues that he was concerned about. They were:[3]

* Jobs and economy: Excerpt: "Phelps knows how businesses create jobs. The only thing government can and should do, but is not doing, is to remove obstacles here at home by repealing most of the 80,000 pages of regulations that increase the cost and hassle factor of running a business. Then enact attractive tax rates and foreign trade policies that put our people on a level playing field with the rest of the world."

* Spending: Excerpt: [Phelps] intends go to work using his background as a process efficiency expert to expose the waste, and the people who profit from it, to America. Joel will focus the voice of the people on the action at hand and force Washington to respond, one item at a time."

* Social security and medicare: Excerpt: "Phelps believes that we should take care of the truly indigent. However, there is a big difference between taking care of people that cannot make it out of their house to work, and actively recruiting people that come out to a town hall to be active in the process and trying to line them up for handouts."

* Healthcare: Excerpt: "The way to make it truly affordable and maintain the status of “best in the world” is to make it an actual free market system by doing the following: repeal Obama-care, make health insurance affordable by allowing the consumer to buy health insurance from across state lines, stop junk lawsuit by limiting awards and applying "loser pays provisions" like (Texas did it!), allow and extend health saving account accrual throughout the system, and create more choices in Medicare."

* Taxes: Excerpt: "Americans spend 6.1 billion hours a year trying to navigate the tax codes and spend billions of otherwise disposable income paying accountants to do if for them. This has got to change. Loopholes for special interests have got to be closed. Joel Phelps supports a flat tax structure"

* Use of our military: Excerpt: "Phelps has proposed bringing articles of impeachment to any President, Democrat or Republican, that wages an illegal war and abuses our military for political purpose. He would introduce an "Oil and/or Mineral" revenue sharing agreements as amendments to any declaration of war that helps an oil or mineral rich nation."

* Energy independence: "Remove bureaucratic and legal obstacles to responsible oil and natural gas development in the United States, offshore and on land. End the ban on oil shale development in the American West, and give coastal states federal royalty revenue sharing to give them an incentive to allow offshore development. Reduce frivolous lawsuits that hold up energy production by enacting loser pays laws to force the losers in an environmental lawsuit to pay all legal costs for the other side. Finance cleaner energy research and projects with new oil and gas royalties. Replace the Environmental Protection Agency with an Environmental Solutions Agency that would use incentives and work cooperatively with local government and industry to achieve better environmental outcomes while considering the impact of federal environmental policies on job creation and the cost of energy."

* Entitlement programs: Excerpt: "ALL citizens under the jurisdiction and protection of this nation’s governance must contribute to expect to receive the collective benefits of the contributions of others. Except in the case of the truly indigent or the momentary need of otherwise productive citizens, those of working age who can work and pay taxes must do so or be cut off from receiving public relief, for the good of the nation and the individual."

* Foreign aid: Excerpt: "[Phelps] believes that foreign aid budgets must return to zero dollars each fiscal year. If it is in America’s strategic interests, then spend the aid. But, let those that would make a case for foreign aid present it before congress for ratification into the each year’s budget."

* Immigration: Excerpt: "The United States needs to attract and retain job creators from wherever they come. Foreign-born residents with advanced degrees start companies, create jobs, and drive innovation at an especially high rate. [Phelps]'s plan for dealing with illegal immigration includes: 1. Expand the border fence fully similar to the fence constructed at Yuma, AZ. 2. More unmanned electronic assets at the border with more border agents 3. Implement a simple E-Verify system that is reliable, and protects businesses. 4. Oppose a amnesty as unlawful, unfair to legal immigrants, and expensive to taxpayers 5. Cut off access to entitlements and social programs for illegal immigrants, including benefit such as in-state tuition rates. 6. Rapid deportation of those illegal immigrants that are caught"

## Elections[edit]

### 2012[edit]

See also: Indiana's 1st Congressional District elections, 2012

Phelps ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Indiana's 1st District. Phelps defeated Dave Wenger in the Republican primary and was defeated by Democratic incumbent Peter Visclosky in the November 6 general election.[4]

U.S. House, Indiana District 1 General Election, 2012

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  | Peter J. Visclosky Incumbent | 67.3% | 187,743
| Republican  |  Joel Phelps  | 32.7% | 91,291
Total Votes | 279,034
Source: Indiana Secretary of State "House of Representatives Election Results"
U.S. House, Indiana District 1 Republican Primary, 2012

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Joel Phelps | 59% | 17,164
Dave Wenger  | 41% | 11,952
Total Votes | 29,116

## Campaign donors[edit]

### 2012[edit]

Breakdown of the source of Phelps' campaign funds before the 2012 election.

Phelps lost election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Phelps' campaign committee raised a total of $75,735 and spent $75,871.[5]

U.S. House, Indiana District 1, 2012 - Joel Phelps Campaign Contributions

Total Raised | $75,735
Total Spent | $75,871
Total Raised by Election Winner | $785,240
Total Spent by Election Winner | $1,061,227
Top contributors to Joel Phelps's campaign committee
Winston & Strawn| $5,200
Munster Stor-All| $3,500
Chicago Heights Glass Co| $2,751
Hoosiers for Rokita| $2,000
Republican Party of Indiana| $2,000
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Retired| $24,075
Lawyers/Law Firms| $5,200
Candidate Committees| $5,000
Misc Business| $2,500
Real Estate| $1,800

## Personal[edit]

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Phelps resides in Portage, Indiana, with his wife Jennifer, and three boys Jordan (14), Joshua (10) and Jakob (5).[2]

## See also[edit]

* Indiana's 1st Congressional District
* Indiana's 1st Congressional District elections, 2012
* United States House of Representatives

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* Campaign website
* Facebook page
* Twitter account
* LinkedIn page
* YouTube page

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Indiana"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Joel Phelps for Congress, "Meet Joel" accessed February 8, 2012
3. ↑ Joel Phelps for Congress' "Issues" accessed February 11, 2012
4. ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "2012 Primary Election Results," May 8, 2012
5. ↑ OpenSecrets, "2012 Election" accessed March 23, 2013

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