Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, who became known as “Joe the Plumber” after pushing then-Sen. Barack Obama on his economic policies during the 2008 presidential campaign, has died, according to members of his family. He was 49.
“When I met Joe he was already known by everyone else as ‘Joe the Plumber’ but he wrote something to me that stood out and showed me who he truly was: ‘just Joe.’ He was an average, honorable man trying to do great things for the country he loved so deeply after being thrust into the public eye for asking a question,” his wife, Katie Wurzelbacher, said in a statement provided to CNN.
“My heart goes out to everyone whose lives are impacted by cancer. There are so many ups and downs but we tried to find joy in every day. He fought long and hard, but is now free from pain.”
Joey Wurzelbacher, Wurzelbacher’s oldest son, remembered his father as a man of faith and someone who believed in the country.
“He wanted a united America. Of course, he had his views on that. But look, you know, we live in a wonderful republic where, you know, those views helped cultivate something amazing,” he said.
In 2008, Wurzelbacher emerged as the face of the struggling middle class on the campaign trail in Ohio when he challenged Obama over what he would do for small businesses and taxes. In 2012, he ran for the US House as a Republican, ultimately losing his bid for Ohio’s 9th District to Democrat Marcy Kaptur.
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