Encyclopedia · Biography
Justin Amash
American lawyer, former congressman and cofounder of the House Freedom Caucus
Personal details
- Born
- April 18, 1980 · Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Family background
- Father of Palestinian descent and mother from Syria (interviewed historical account)
- Education
- Grand Rapids Christian High School (1998); University of Michigan, A.B. economics (2002), J.D. (2005)
- Religion
- Eastern Orthodox Christian (reported 2014)
- Spouse
- Kara Amash
- Children
- Alexander, Anwen and Evelyn
- Political parties
- Republican (through July 2019); Independent (2019–2020); Libertarian (from May 2020)
- Public service
- Michigan House (2009–2010); U.S. House (2011–2021)
Justin Amash (born 1980) is an American lawyer and former U.S. representative from Michigan. He was among the House Freedom Caucus’s nine founding members in 2015 and later left the Republican Party.
Family, schooling and early employment
Amash was born and raised in Grand Rapids in a family with Palestinian and Syrian roots. He attended Grand Rapids Christian High School, received an economics undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan in 2002 and a law degree there in 2005. Before Congress he worked in the family business and in private law practice. He and his wife Kara have three children.
Michigan and congressional service
Amash was elected to the Michigan House in 2008, then represented Michigan’s third district in Congress from 2011 through 2020. He was one of nine publicly announced founders of the House Freedom Caucus in 2015. His recorded issue positions included opposition to some federal surveillance and expansive executive authority.
Party changes and later political work
Amash left the Republican Party in July 2019, became an independent and joined the Libertarian Party in May 2020. He did not seek reelection to the House in 2020 and unsuccessfully pursued a U.S. Senate nomination in 2024.
References
Research compiled through November 12, 2026. Sources and historical roles are dated where known.