Joel David Fox

Joel David Fox passed away on Saturday morning, January 10, 2026. Born on April 22, 1949, to Harry Fox and Freda Fox, he was raised in Massachusetts with his younger brother, Mitch. In 1974, he moved to California and quickly became a leading California political consultant, commentator, author, and educator. His career spanned more than four decades in public policy, journalism, and civic life.

Fox began his career with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, where he worked for 19 years and served as president from 1986 to 1998. In 1996, he led the successful statewide campaign for Proposition 218, the “Right to Vote on Taxes” initiative. He played a central role in California’s workers’ compensation reform efforts, which helped produce a landmark legislative compromise.

In 1999, Fox founded Joel Fox Consulting, a public affairs and political consulting firm. From 2003 to 2017, he also served as founder and president of the Small Business Action Committee, advocating on behalf of small businesses on major political issues.

Fox was deeply involved in electoral politics, serving as Senior Policy Consultant to Arnold Schwarzenegger during the historic 2003 gubernatorial recall election; Policy Director for Richard Riordan’s 2001–2002 campaign for governor; and a state co-chair for John McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign.

He was co-publisher and editor-in-chief of Fox and Hounds Daily, a widely read website covering California business and politics. The Washington Post twice named the site one of California’s top political websites, and Fox’s work is collected by the California State Library. He was a frequent commentator in local and national media and was named one of the top 100 political “influencers” in California by Campaigns and Elections Magazine. From 2017 to 2020, the San Fernando Valley Business Journal recognized him among the Valley 200, the region’s most influential leaders.

A prolific writer, Fox authored hundreds of opinion pieces published in outlets including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, CALmatters, and National Review Online. He also contributed to NPR’s All Things Considered and to the book What Baseball Means to Me.

Fox authored the nonfiction book The Legend of Proposition 13 and contributed to several essay collections on California public policy. Outside of politics, he also wrote acclaimed novels, including Lincoln’s Hand, FDR’s Treasure, and The Mark on Eve, as well as short fiction. He recently completed his latest novel, Two Sides of Death, set to be published in the spring of 2026.

His public service included appointments to numerous state and local commissions, including the California Performance Review Commission and the California Constitution Revision Commission. He was active in civic and academic life as a senior research associate at Claremont McKenna College’s Rose Institute and, beginning in 2006, as an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Public Policy.

Joel is survived by his loving wife of over 51 years, Cydney; his two sons Zack and Eric; his daughters-in-law Alyssa and Hannah; and his two beautiful grandchildren Emilia and Aviva. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother.

A memorial service will take place at 9am on Thursday, January 15th at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park. 5600 Lindero Canyon Road. Westlake Village, CA 91362.