Joseph Merrill Hoeffel III ( HUF-?l; born September 3, 1950) is an American author and politician.
A Democrat, Hoeffel was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005, representing Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district.
He also served multiple terms on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, and from 1977–84, was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
A native of Philadelphia, he is a graduate of Boston University and Temple University School of Law.
Hoeffel was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 2004, and for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2010.