Joseph Hohenstein

Joseph Hohenstein earned a bachelor's degree from Earlham College in 1989 and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1993. His professional experience includes working as an immigration attorney, in nonprofit organizations, and in private practice. He also taught at Temple University's Beasley School of Law. He was the clerk (chair) on the Board of Frankford Friends School and served on the National Amicus Committee of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).[1]

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased September 18, 2020

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was elected State Representative of the 177th District in 2018 to serve the Philadelphia neighborhoods of Bridesburg, Fishtown, Mayfair, Port Richmond, Northwood, Kensington, Wissinoming, Harrowgate, and Frankford-where I was born and raised. I'm a husband, father, and dedicated community leader.

I seek to give voice to a community that has often felt overlooked and neglected. My district consists of traditional working class neighborhoods whose interests historically have not been protected and whose concerns have gone unheard. But I am working hard to ensure my constituents' needs are met and to help their vision for a better community become a reality.

My top priorities include fighting for education funding, worker protections, raising the minimum wage, affordable healthcare, criminal justice reform, environmental protections, ending gun violence, addressing the opioid epidemic, supporting equal rights (including women, LGBTQ+, and those with disabilities), fair districts, and government transparency and accountability.

Before assuming office, I served our community as an attorney and small business owner. Nationally renowned for my experience solving challenging immigration cases, my work focused on keeping families united and protecting their rights. Notably, when President Trump signed the infamous Travel Ban in early 2017, my legal team successfully reunited a Syrian Christian family who was legally immigrating but ruled ineligible mid-flight.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I believe we must respond to the COVID pandemic and prioritize public health and safety. This means investing in PPE, supporting hazard pay and paid sick leave, and doing everything we can to provide sufficient unemployment compensation for working families. Economic recovery has to start with our workers, not corporations. I will support working families with simple, but powerful policies that: establish and provide early childhood education and fair funding for Philadelphia's public schools; protect and value workers by securing safe worksites and living wages; and create a comprehensive safety net through universal health care and a functioning unemployment system. I am dedicated to working to address the systemic inequalities in our society to create a brighter future for everyone. Justice for all includes creating safer communities by addressing the opioid epidemic, ending gun violence, and protecting our environment.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about achieving educational, environmental, and economic justice for all. The current system simply does not work for the majority of us. The status quo is unsustainable, and the issues facing our society have only increased since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am passionate about providing a brighter future for all. Everyone should have affordable access to food, housing, healthcare, education, and public transportation.

I am passionate about achieving true equality. Everyone deserves equal protection under the law, no matter who they are, where they come from, how they identify, or who they choose to love. As such, I will always fight for all members of our society. I support women's rights and their access to reproductive services, I will protect LGBTQ+ rights, I will advocate and recognize the gifts of differently abled and disabled people, and I will stand by our BIPOC neighbors and immigrant communities.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I choose to identify my heroes from people I know, not famous people I've never met. My parents remain the biggest influence in my life. They have lived lives of service, and have accepted and supported me, my 6 siblings, our partners, and their 16 grandchildren with the grace of saints and the wisdom of sages.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I listen, keep an open mind, and then make my decisions. I also follow Quaker teachings to both recognize and value everyone I encounter and try to understand them on their own terms.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope to leave my communities more unified than when I started.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Richard Nixon's resignation. I was seven years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first paid job was for the summer when I was 15 years old. I worked as a gofer for a construction contractor who was a friend of my family. It was rehabbing of houses, 7AM-3PM everyday for that whole summer. Even though I was the low man on the totem pole, I still had other guys on the job counting on me. If I messed up, it would cost time and money - so I learned fast to mess up as seldom as possible and to take responsibility for it when I did.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Harry Potter series. I am a fan of fantasy and my kids were the right age, so I was able to read these out loud to them.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Huck Finn

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

No Sugar in My Coffee

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Not hearing as well as other people. I have had a moderate hearing loss for most of my life and accommodating that without calling attention to myself as 'different' was always something I struggled with. As I have gotten older, I have dropped the stigma of being embarrassed by my moderate disability and advocated to get full access, instead of trying to pretend I was getting along.

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

In Pennsylvania, Senators retain power over specific appropriations for projects in their districts. Representatives no longer have this power.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe that prior life experience is important, but not necessarily experience in politics or the government. A legislator's function as a representative of the people of their district requires an understanding of the different life experiences of those people. This usually requires a person who has seen enough of life that they can engage, understand, and ultimately represent all of the people in their district - not just those who look and think like them. I think this quality is important for my district, which is extremely diverse.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Right now, in the next several months, we need to find ways to effectively address both the public health and economic impacts of COVID-19. I believe this requires us to recognize that there cannot be a true economic recovery without first adopting appropriate and comprehensive public health containment of the virus, either through social practices or a vaccine.

In the longer term, three issues will be the focus: 1) funding our state pensions and continuing to pay for years of neglect; 2) a transition from Act 89 to fund infrastructure and transportation; and 3) completing the implementation of the fair funding formula for public education.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

Communication is essential, especially from the Governor to the Legislature. Respect is also key, especially from the Legislature to the Governor. The ideal relationship balances these two elements and includes the basic principle that each body has its own area of expertise.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, it is important to develop a relationship with my legislative colleagues so that we can better work together to solve the problems facing our districts and our commonwealth. Understanding one another and gaining insight into each of our individual perspectives provides the best opportunity for us to find the common ground necessary for joint solutions. I will always be ready to seek out relationships with all of my colleagues, regardless of their political party.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

I support Fair Districts PA's plan for a nonpartisan commission to determine our legislative districts. I would support legislation like SB22 and HB722 to establish such a nonpartisan commission.

If you are a current legislator, what appealed to you about your current committees?

Human Services - I joined this committee specifically because it addresses one of the main problems in my district: the crisis created by addiction. I also chose it because, when I joined, it was chaired by Rep. Gene DiGiralomo, a Republican who was dedicated to addressing the scourge of addiction and the myriad of problems it creates for our communities.

State Government - I joined this committee because I knew it would be a place where larger questions of state policy, like election security, redistricting, and equality would be resolved. During COVID, it has become the place where all the legislation relating to reopening of the economy has been debated.

Urban Affairs - This is the committee that deals with all the issues affecting the City of Philadelphia.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

Yes, but it would depend upon the role and the circumstances. I hope to provide the best leadership for my district and the commonwealth at-large, and I would accept such a responsibility if it is asked of me.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Mike O'Brien - He never forgot where he came from.

Bob O'Donnell - He was willing to re-examine his views and work with everyone to come to a solution.

Barbara Jordan - She persisted and always reached for something more, both for herself and her constituents.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Unlikely.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Just 50 cents - but so much more.

I was in Port Richmond one day, helping get people mail-in voting applications and talking with them about the importance of voting. Not everyone is voting by mail, but they are all making their plans.

On my way back to my car, I saw an older woman working in a nice, well-tended garden with a lot of plants and flowers in large pots. I commented on how beautiful it was. Her husband came to the door and told me he was going to vote in person at his polling place. He pointed to his POW/MIA flag. He told me about his service in Vietnam as a machine gunner on river boats. I told him my uncle had served on those same boats after graduating from Annapolis.

He also told me of his admiration for JFK because of his dedicated service to the country. At that point, he told me to wait and went inside. He came back out and handed something to his wife to give to me; told me it was just .50 cents, and wished me well. She handed me a JFK commemorative half dollar, just 50 cents - but so much more.