Wurzelbacher rose to prominence during the 2008 presidential campaign. Plumbers send Joe down the drain

As Joe Wurzelbacher, aka “Joe the Plumber,” looks for support for a possible congressional run, he won’t find a lot of backing in one particular demographic: Plumbers.

Some of the nation’s most notable plumbing trade organizations are reacting to news of Wurzelbacher’s run with disinterest or, in one case, disgust.


Rick Terven, Sr. is with The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (know simply as “UA” to the 340,000 members it claims) and writes POLITICO in an email:

“As you know both Dennis Kucinich and Marcy Kaptor are also considering this race and have stood by working families time and time again. In doing so they both have earned the strong support of our members in Ohio. ‘Joe the Plumber’ may have played a part in the 2008 election story, but we know that the plumbers of the United Association and all other plumbers who care about working people will continue to support either Democratic nominee, not ‘Joe the Plumber.’

“‘Joe the Plumber’ does not represent the United Association nor our union members in any way. This is someone who appears to care more about being a celebrity than actually helping working families.”

It was revealed this week that Wurzelbacher filed papers for a potential House run in northern Ohio, although he has yet to make a final decision.

Jim Kendzel is the Executive Director and CEO of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers and hadn’t heard of Wurzelbacher’s run until POLITICO’s phone call. And he didn’t seem moved by it either way, saying: “We encourage all of our members to be active in legislative and code process both at the local and state and federal level promoting good plumbing, engineering practices.”

But as for Wurzelbacher, specifically?

“We really don’t have any comment related to that.”

Well, except on one minor detail: “I don’t believe he’s actually a plumber.”

Kendzel’s right. Wurzelbacher rose to prominence during the 2008 campaign between Barack Obama and John McCain and earned the moniker “Joe the Plumber,” even though it was subsequently revealed that he wasn’t a licensed plumber.

It’s a distinction that’s not lost on the plumbing community.

“I don’t think he’s actually licensed,” said Charlotte Perham, senior director of communications for the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association, which bills itself on its website as “the oldest trade association in the construction industry.”

“I don’t know a lot about him,” said Perham, although she did know that “he’s not a member of our organization.”

“At this point, we don’t have any comment.”