Joseph Backholm

Joseph Backholm is senior fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at Family Research Council. He combines extensive legal, political, and policy experience with a love for the way biblical truth cultivates human flourishing. 

Previously, Backholm served as legal counsel and director of “What Would You Say?” at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview where he developed and launched a growing platform that creates short, animated videos answering common questions about faith and culture. His YouTube career began as a self-identified "6'5 Chinese Woman" in a series of YouTube videos exploring the logic of gender identity.

He served as a legislative attorney for three years and spent 10 years as the president and general counsel of the Family Policy Institute of Washington in Washington State where he managed educational, legislative, and electoral operations on behalf of life, marriage, religious freedom, and parental rights. He led three ballot initiatives on marriage and gender privacy. 

He is a Washington State native who loves travel, sports, and whatever his kids are into. Backholm received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and his law degree from Seattle University. He and his wife, Brook, have four children.