Joseph D. Morelle was born and raised in Upstate New York and has lived in the same Irondequoit neighborhood for most of his life. He graduated from Eastridge High School in Irondequoit and the State University of New York at Geneseo. 

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At a young age Joe was taught the value of hard work and the principles of honesty and integrity. Joe’s father, Gilbert Morelle, was a Korean War veteran and a lifelong member of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union, and his mother Juliette worked in the home raising five children. His parents instilled in him a commitment to service, sacrifice, and a deep-rooted belief in giving back to one’s community. 

These values inspired Joe to pursue public service, first representing his community in the Monroe County Legislature in 1983, and then shortly after in the New York State Assembly. In 2013, Joe was appointed Majority Leader of the New York State Assembly. 

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Throughout his time in the state legislature, Joe authored more than 200 laws and worked across the aisle to protect and expand access to healthcare for all New Yorkers, make New York’s gun laws some of the strongest in the nation, and create good-paying jobs for working class families.

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In 2018, Joe was elected to his first term in the United States House of Representatives. He currently represents New York’s 25th Congressional District which includes almost the entirety of Monroe County. In Congress, Joe has fought tirelessly to ensure the greater Rochester community has a seat at the table and has taken action to protect and strengthen women’s health freedom, keep our streets safe from the terror of gun violence, and create stronger economic opportunities for every person who calls this community .

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In Congress, Joe has the distinct privilege of being one of only five members of the House of Representatives to serve on four House committees, including: Armed Services, Budget, Education and Labor, and Rules. Joe is the chairman of the Budget Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process, and also serves on two Education and Labor Subcommittees: Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education; and Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions. In addition, Joe is a member of many caucuses that support the interests of our community, including: the Pro-Choice Caucus, Buy American Caucus, Higher Education Caucus, Gun Violence Task Force, Heroin Task Force, End Domestic Violence Caucus, Congressional Deaf Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Ukraine Caucus and the New Democrat Coalition.

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Joe is proud of his record delivering results for his constituents on the issues they care about most. He has introduced landmark legislation to crack down on gun trafficking and keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. His legislation to strengthen healthcare resources for veterans in crisis has been signed into law, and he led the charge to protect patients from unexpected costs associated with surprise medical billing. 

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Joe continues to reside in Irondequoit with his wife, Mary Beth, just blocks from where he grew up. Joe and Mary Beth have 3 children and 4 grandchildren.  You’ll often see Joe out and about across the district visiting local businesses, keeping up with his karate lessons (he’s a black belt!), or taking in a baseball game–and on Sunday mornings you can find him making breakfast for the whole family, one of his favorite traditions.