Joe Hohenstein is a Democrat serving as State Representative of Pennsylvania’s 177th Legislative District, which includes the neighborhoods of Bridesburg, Fishtown, Port Richmond, Northwood, Frankford, Kensington, Wissinoming, and Harrowgate. 

First elected in 2018, Joe is seeking re-election so he can continue the work of educational, environmental, and economic justice for the 177th District, the City of Philadelphia, and the entire commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Born and raised in Frankford, Joe Hohenstein grew up in a union household. His Mom was a shop steward with AFSCME DC 47 and his father a member of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. His parents continue to live in his childhood home, while Joe lives just blocks away in the house where he and his wife Brandi raised their two children.

As an attorney and small business owner, Joe’s professional career is dedicated to helping the community and fighting for justice. Nationally renowned for his experience solving challenging immigration cases, Joe’s work focuses on keeping families united and protecting the rights of immigrants. He served for years on the National Amicus Committee of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).  Notably, when President Trump signed the infamous Travel Ban in early 2017, Joe was part of the legal team that successfully sued the President to reunite a Syrian Christian family who was legally immigrating to our country but was ruled ineligible mid-flight.

Joe’s leadership experience spans the non-profit sector and field of education.  As faculty at Temple University Beasley School of Law, he developed the school’s first immigration law clinic. He continues to receive awards and recognition for his guidance of students and colleagues in the intricacies of one of the most complex areas of U.S. law.  

For more than 15 years, Joe served on the board of Frankford Friends School. As Clerk (Chair) of that Board, he helped lead a three phase expansion project that included constructing a new building and outdoor learning area, and repurposing an abandoned neighboring church for the school’s gym and music programs.

Joe is an alum of Frankford Friends School (1979), Masterman Junior High School (1982), and Frankford High School (1985). Graduating from Earlham College (1989) with a degree in International Studies, Joe then attended law school at the University of Minnesota, where he received his J.D. in 1993 and passed the bar the same year.