Joe Deshotel

Joseph "Joe" Deshotel (born December 3, 1951) is an attorney and businessman from Beaumont, Texas and a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives. Since 1999, he has represented District 22 in Jefferson County.

Deshotel was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. He is an alumnus of Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School. Deshotel received his bachelor's degree in Political Science at Lamar University in 1974 and his J.D. from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in 1978.

Deshotel has been an attorney, businessman, and Technical Sergeant in the United States Air Force Reserves.

He is married to Claudia Deshotel and has one son, W. Joseph Deshotel.

Deshotel was elected to the Texas House of Representatives after he ran unopposed in 1998. He has run unopposed in each election since, except in 2004, 2006, and 2008, where he faced Libertarian opponents. However, he faced no significant threat, as he received the vast majority of the votes each year.

He was one of only three members in his 25-member freshman class to receive the Rising Star Award.

He currently serves as the chair of the Land and Resource Management committee and is a member of the Public Education committee. He has also served on the Special Committee on Redistricting.

He has previously served on several committees, including the House Appropriations, House Economic Development, Transportation, and Redistricting committees. He was also the chairman of Budget Oversight for the House Elections Committee and the vice chair of the Local & Consent Calendars.