Josh Riley

This candidate is participating in a 2026 battleground election. Click here to read more about that election.

Josh Riley

Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House New York District 19

U.S. House New York District 19

Tenure

2025 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

1

Predecessor: Marcus Molinaro (R)

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 23, 2026

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

College of William & Mary, 2003

Law

Harvard Law School, 2007

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official X

Official Instagram

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign X

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Josh Riley (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing New York's 19th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Riley (Democratic Party, Working Families Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent New York's 19th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. He advanced from the Working Families Party primary on June 23, 2026. The Democratic primary for this office on June 23, 2026, was canceled. The Working Families Party primary for this office on June 23, 2026, was canceled.

Biography

Josh Riley received a bachelor's degree in government and economics from the College of William and Mary in 2003 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2007. His career experience includes working as a staff assistant to former Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), a policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Labor, a clerk on the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and a general counsel to former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Riley worked for the law firms Boies, Schiller & Flexner and Jenner & Block LLP.

2026 battleground election

See also: New York's 19th Congressional District election, 2026

Ballotpedia identified the November 3 general election for New York's 19th Congressional District as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.

Incumbent Josh Riley (D/Working Families Party) and Peter Oberacker (R/Conservative Party) are running in the general election for New York's 19th Congressional District on November 3, 2026.

Riley defeated then-incumbent Marcus Molinaro (R/Conservative Party) 51.1%–48.8% in 2024. Molinaro defeated Riley 50.8%–49.2% under different district lines in 2022. In 2024, Kamala Harris (D) defeated Donald Trump (R) 50.4%–48.7% in the 19th District. As of July 2026, major election forecasters rated the election Likely Democratic or Lean Democratic.

Riley is an attorney and former political staffer for U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.). His campaign website says he has "helped pass bipartisan legislation to protect survivors of domestic violence and combat the opioid epidemic. He worked on legislation to restore the Voting Rights Act, and he led efforts to overturn Citizens United and end the influence of dark money in politics."

Oberacker was elected to the New York Senate in 2020 and earlier served on the Otsego County Legislature and in the town government of Maryland, New York. He is a retired food scientist who founded FormTech Solutions. Oberacker's campaign website says he "has focused on delivering results, keeping taxes low, and standing up for the people he represents. He has never created a budget that raised taxes."

As of June 30, 2026, Riley had raised $4.83 million and Oberacker had raised $1.24 million.

The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 120th Congress. All 435 U.S. House districts are up for election.

Currently, Republicans have a 219-212 majority with four vacancies in the chamber. To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, click here.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2025-2026

Riley was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Agriculture
• Livestock Dairy and Poultry
• Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
• Energy

Elections

2026

See also: New York's 19th Congressional District election, 2026

New York's 19th Congressional District election, 2026 (June 23 Republican primary)

New York's 19th Congressional District election, 2026 (June 23 Democratic primary)

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for U.S. House New York District 19

Incumbent Josh Riley and Peter Oberacker are running in the general election for U.S. House New York District 19 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Josh Riley (D / Working Families Party)
		Peter Oberacker (R / Conservative Party)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Josh Riley advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 19.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 19

Peter Oberacker defeated Alexander Portelli in the Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 19 on June 23, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Peter Oberacker	77.6	13,387
		Alexander Portelli	21.9	3,779
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	77

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 17,243
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Peter Oberacker advanced from the Conservative Party primary for U.S. House New York District 19.

Working Families Party primary election

The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Incumbent Josh Riley advanced from the Working Families Party primary for U.S. House New York District 19.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.

Candidate spending

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Josh Riley	Democratic Party, Working Families Party	$4,825,666	$1,703,032	$3,190,954	As of June 30, 2026
Peter Oberacker	Republican Party, Conservative Party	$1,237,179	$844,311	$392,868	As of June 30, 2026
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.

By candidate	By election
Josh Riley Peter Oberacker	OpenSecrets Federal Election Commission

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Last four weeks

Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. The table below shows the most recent four weeks of ratings until the election date, if available.

Race ratings: U.S. House New York District 19 election, 2026

Reviewing Body	August 4, 2026	July 28, 2026	July 21, 2026	July 14, 2026
Cook Political Report	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Lean Democratic
DDHQ/The Hill	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Pending
Inside Elections	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball	Likely Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic

Change over time

The following table shows each date on which one or more rating outlets changed their rating.

Race rating history: U.S. House New York District 19 election, 2026

Date	Cook Political Report	Inside Elections	Sabato's Crystal Ball	DDHQ/The Hill
Most recent rating	Likely Democratic	Lean Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic
Changes throughout the cycle
August 4, 2026	Likely Democratic	Lean Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic
July 21, 2026	Likely Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Likely Democratic
April 15, 2025	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Pending
March 18, 2025	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Pending	Pending
February 11, 2025	Lean Democratic	Pending	Pending	Pending

Show 2 more rows

Note: Ballotpedia updates the race ratings weekly. A row is added above when one or more reviewing bodies changed their rating from the week before. The date does not necessarily represent the date the reviewing body changed its rating.

Endorsements

Josh Riley received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

• Ithaca-Area Cat Ladies and Ally Cats Vote! (Sway voting group by CatLadyCori.CLFA)
• Jess’s Progressive Picks (Sway voting group by Jess Craven)

2024

See also: New York's 19th Congressional District election, 2024

New York's 19th Congressional District election, 2024 (June 25 Democratic primary)

New York's 19th Congressional District election, 2024 (June 25 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House New York District 19

Josh Riley defeated incumbent Marcus Molinaro in the general election for U.S. House New York District 19 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Josh Riley (D / Working Families Party)	51.1	192,647
		Marcus Molinaro (R / Conservative Party)	48.8	184,290
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	406

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 377,343
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Josh Riley advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 19.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Casey Groves (D)
• Dan Buttermann (D)
• John Cerullo (D)

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Marcus Molinaro advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 19.

Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Incumbent Marcus Molinaro advanced from the Conservative Party primary for U.S. House New York District 19.

Working Families Party primary election

The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Josh Riley advanced from the Working Families Party primary for U.S. House New York District 19.

Endorsements

Josh Riley received the following endorsements.

• U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D)
• U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D)
• U.S. Rep. Joseph Morelle (D)
• U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan (D)
• U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko (D)

Pledges

Riley signed the following pledges.

• U.S. Term Limits

2022

See also: New York's 19th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House New York District 19

Marcus Molinaro defeated Josh Riley in the general election for U.S. House New York District 19 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Marcus Molinaro (R / Conservative Party)	50.8	146,004
		Josh Riley (D / Working Families Party)	49.2	141,509
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	105

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 287,618
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 19

Josh Riley defeated Jamie Cheney in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 19 on August 23, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Josh Riley	62.3	31,193
		Jamie Cheney	37.2	18,625
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	229

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 50,047
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Osun Zotique (D)
• Antonio Delgado (D)

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Marcus Molinaro advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 19.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Kyle Van De Water (R)
• Brandon Buccola (R)

Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Marcus Molinaro advanced from the Conservative Party primary for U.S. House New York District 19.

Working Families Party primary election

The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Josh Riley advanced from the Working Families Party primary for U.S. House New York District 19.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Antonio Delgado (Working Families Party)

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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You can ask Josh Riley to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing info@joshrileyforcongress.com.

Campaign website

Riley's campaign website stated the following:

Championing Equality for All

Love is love. At a time when constitutional freedoms are threatened, Josh knows we cannot take for granted the progress we have made in the civil rights movement. That is why Josh supports policies that:

• Guarantee marriage equality, including the Respect for Marriage Act;
• Prohibit discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, including through the Equality Act; and
• Ban dangerous conversion therapies.

Creating Opportunities for People with Disabilities

Josh believes that everyone deserves an opportunity to live a fulfilling life and reach their full potential, regardless of their abilities. Josh supports proposals that:

• Provide community-based support for people with disabilities;
• Invest in disaster preparedness focused on the elderly and people with disabilities;
• Increase employment opportunities, including through support for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy; and
• Address provider shortages in the home-based and community-based care economy.

Cutting Taxes for the Middle Class

The Middle Class needs a tax cut; billionaires and big corporations don’t. Josh believes it is unacceptable that hedge fund managers pay lower tax rates than janitors, and he believes the tax code should be reformed to be simpler, fairer, and less of a burden for working families. Josh supports policies that:

• Cut taxes for the Middle Class so working families keep more of their own money;
• Require the wealthy and big corporations to pay their fair share so we can reduce the deficit and invest in necessary public services;
• Close the carried interest loophole, which allows Wall Street to pay lower tax rates than Main Street;
• Create a wealth surtax on incomes over $5 million and trusts/estates valued at more than $25 million; and
• Expand and strengthen the Earned Income Tax Credit to reward work, not wealth, and lift kids from poverty.

Defending Abortion Rights

Anti-abortion extremists like Marc Molinaro want to take away women’s most personal healthcare decisions and put them in the hands of politicians – even here in New York.

Josh’s view is simple: women’s healthcare decisions are women’s healthcare decisions, and politicians should stay the hell out of them. Josh championed an effort in federal court to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, which would make abortion access a constitutional right, and he’ll finish the job in Congress. Josh:

• Will sponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act on day one to restore Roe v. Wade into federal law;
• Will always stand up to extremists trying to take away reproductive rights, including those attempting to restrict access to birth control, IVF, or mifepristone; and
• Supports a Constitutional amendment to put reproductive rights in the constitution, so not even a far-right Supreme Court can take them away again.

Empowering Labor

Josh knows that strong unions built a strong Middle Class. Josh supports organized labor, and he believes we should make it easier to join a union and harder to bust one. Among other things, Josh supports:

• The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act;
• Project Labor Agreements, ensuring that local projects are built by local workers at fair wages; and
• Increased enforcement of labor laws.

Josh has an extensive record fighting for workers. He served as a Policy Analyst at the U.S. Department of Labor, focusing on unemployment and job training programs. As an attorney in private practice, he represented workers whose rights were violated under the Fair Labor Standards Act. As a Fellow on the U.S. Senate Labor & Pensions Committee, he fought for pro-labor legislation.

Ending Gun Violence

Josh believes we can keep vulnerable populations safe from gun violence while honoring law-abiding gun owners’ Second Amendment rights. Josh served as counsel on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and he worked on common-sense legislation to keep communities safe. Among other things, Josh supports:

• Stronger background checks to keep weapons out of the hands of folks who are a danger to themselves or others;
• Keeping weapons of war out of schools and off the streets through appropriately tailored and constitutionally permissible legislation; and
• Protecting survivors of domestic violence by prohibiting domestic abusers from accessing weapons.

Enhancing Public Education

Josh is a proud product of Upstate New York’s public schools, and he wants every child to have the great education and opportunities he had. Josh supports policies that:

• Fully fund public education, supporting our students, teachers, and communities;
• Support programs in music and the arts so kids can explore their passions and creativity;
• Invest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) curricula so America’s students are prepared to compete in the global economy;
• Give kids the support they need to learn, including healthy meals, school-based healthcare, and counseling; and
• Promote CTE (career and technical education) diplomas–because a four-year degree should not be the price of admission to the Middle Class.

Expanding Access to Healthcare

Josh believes that healthcare should be a civil right in America, not something that bankrupts so many American families. Josh believes that our healthcare system should put patients over profits. He has litigated in federal courts to improve children’s access to healthcare services, and he worked as counsel in the U.S. Senate to advance legislation to improve access to addiction treatment and mental health care. He supports policies that:

• Lower the cost of prescription drugs, including by ending pay-for-delay deals that jack up prices by reducing competition;
• Create a public option so that anyone who wants it can use it and to increase competition and lower costs for everyone;
• Prohibit corporate PACS controlled by insurance and drug companies from buying influence with politicians;
• Improve access to healthcare in rural communities, including through improvements to broadband access to fully realize the potential of telehealth and by providing more healthcare services in schools;
• Address provider shortages that leave patients underserved and providers overworked;
• Create parity between mental and physical healthcare;
• Strengthen Medicare to cover hearing, dental, and vision services;
• Increase the Medical Loss Ratio so more of your premiums go to your care, not insurance companies’ profits;
• Protect women’s right to make their own healthcare decisions; and
• Invest in our public health system so we can be prepared for future pandemics.

Fighting Corruption and Corporate PACs

Growing up in Endicott, Josh saw firsthand how greedy corporations and corrupt politicians cut backroom deals that left working people behind. Josh isn’t a career politician, and he’s running to change how things work in Washington. That’s why he:

• Will never take a penny of corporate PAC money – because his vote will never be for sale;
• Supports term limits; and
• Will work to overturn Citizens United and get dark money out of politics for good.

Fostering Innovation

Technological progress is accelerating in everything from artificial intelligence to blockchain and digital currencies. Josh believes we need to establish clear and balanced policies that foster innovation, empower consumers, and promote national security, and he believes that we must be at the forefront in the global competition around these technologies. Josh will promote growth and innovation while ensuring these technologies are used ethically and beneficially by:

• Supporting the development of comprehensive regulations that provide clarity and security for emerging technologies like blockchain, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and machine learning;
• Encouraging public-private partnerships to drive innovation, ensuring the U.S. remains a global leader;
• Implementing measures to deter fraud and promote transparency and trust; and
• Ensuring that the development and implementation of these technologies align with national security interests, preventing adversaries from exploiting them for malicious purposes.

Honoring Our Veterans

We owe no greater debt than to those who have served our country in uniform. Josh’s grandpa served in the U.S. Army, and Josh has done work over the course of his career to support veterans, including advocacy in federal court on behalf of veterans service organizations trying to cut through bureaucratic red tape and work in the U.S. Senate to advance legislation providing mental health services for veterans in crisis. Josh believes that supporting our veterans is the most solemn responsibility of lawmakers. He supports policies that:

• Increase support for veterans, servicemembers, and their families;
• Cut red tape the prevents veterans from getting the benefits they’ve earned; and
• Preserve and expand access to VA facilities across Upstate New York.

Improving Public Safety

Josh comes from a law enforcement family, so he knows first-hand the sacrifices our law enforcement and first responders make to keep our communities safe. Josh is adamantly opposed to proposals to “defund the police,” and he believes that public safety requires more resources, not fewer. Josh also believes that New York’s cashless bail policy needs to be changed to give judges more discretion and clearer criteria to apply to keep repeat and violent offenders off the streets.

As counsel in the U.S. Senate, Josh worked to bring Democrats and Republicans together to advance legislation that was supported by the National Sheriffs Association and National Association of Police Organizations, including reauthorization of the Justice & Mental Health Collaboration Program and updates to the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program. Josh supports proposals that:

• Support law enforcement through Justice Department grant programs like Byrne JAG and COPS that strengthen local police and get more officers on the beat;
• Provide collective bargaining rights for law enforcement and first responders;
• Protect and enhance retirement benefits, including by changing the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which reduce law enforcement’s retirement benefits; and
• Increase overtime pay, including by amending Section 7(k) of the Fair Labor Standards Act to ensure that law enforcement and first responders are eligible for the overtime pay they deserve.

Lifting Children Out of Poverty

Josh believes that every child deserves an opportunity to meet his or her full potential, and no child should live in poverty. He wants every child in Upstate New York to have the same opportunities he had and a fair shot at upward mobility. Yet child poverty rates remain at unacceptably high levels across Upstate New York. Josh supports proposals that:

• Invest in early childhood education, including full federal-funding of universal pre-K for ages 3 and 4;
• Provide healthcare services in our schools so kids can get the care they need where they are;
• Provide healthy, locally-sourced school meals–because kids can’t learn on an empty belly;
• Improve access to comprehensive maternity care because healthy moms mean healthy kids; and
• Create good jobs that provide a clear path to the Middle Class–because the best anti-poverty policy for kids is a strong pro-jobs policy for parents.

Lowering Costs

Big corporations are enjoying record profits even while working families are struggling to make ends meet. That’s not fair. As an attorney, Josh represented consumers, workers, and small businesses who were being ripped off by big corporations. In Congress, Josh will work to lower costs, including by supporting policies that:

• Crack down on price gouging so corporations can’t profit on artificially increased prices;
• End cartels in the prescription drug industry by banning anti-competitive pay-for-delay deals;
• Cap the cost of critical drugs and allow Medicare greater authority to negotiate drug prices;
• Oppose rate hikes by utility monopolies; and
• Break up big monopolies.

Protecting Social Security

Seniors have earned the right to retire with dignity. Josh will never cut a penny from Social Security or Medicare. He believes that retirement programs should be strengthened, not weakened, and he supports proposals that:

• Expand Medicare to cover hearing, dental, and vision services.
• Lower the cost of prescription drugs, including by ending pay-for-delay deals that jack up prices by reducing competition;
• Require the wealthy to pay their fair share into these programs;
• Eliminate unfair cuts to retirement savings, including the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision; and
• Strengthen the care economy so seniors can access the long-term care they need and their families deserve.

Protecting Our Environment

Josh believes we are facing existential threats to our environment, which require bold action. As a dad, Josh is especially concerned about the state of the planet we’re leaving to future generations. Josh supports policies that:

• Hold polluters accountable for harm they cause to the environment and stop them from causing that harm in the first place;
• Ensure clean drinking water in every community, including through updates to the Safe Drinking Water Act;
• Preserve our natural treasures, including the Catskills, Hudson River, Delaware River Basin, and the Finger Lakes;
• Create good jobs building the American-made products we need to fight climate change;
• Establish energy independence, including by ending our reliance on fossil fuel over the long term; and.
• Restore the Environmental Protection Administration’s ability to fight climate change.

Pursuing Peace through Strength

Josh believes that America is strongest and most secure when we demonstrate strength while pursuing peace. Josh believes that keeping our homeland safe is among the federal government’s most important functions. He believes we must lead by example in the world, defending American values and interests by engaging strategically.

Josh supports policies that:

• Confront threats posed by adversaries like Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea;
• Combat terrorism and the states that sponsor it;
• Secure America’s borders; and
• Use defense funds wisely and efficiently, always promoting American job creation first.

Securing the Border

The Southern Border is an absolute disaster, and Joe Biden, Marc Molinaro, and Washington politicians from both parties have failed us by refusing to secure it. It’s time for the career politicians who got us into this mess to stop pointing fingers at each other and do their damn jobs–or get out of the way for someone who will.

Josh knows that our immigration system is completely broken, and he will bring Democrats and Republicans together to fix it in a way that upholds both the law and our values. As an attorney, Josh advocated in the U.S. Supreme Court against immigration policies that discriminate based on religion and in favor of policies that support law enforcement, crack down on drug trafficking, and fight crime. As counsel in the U.S. Senate, Josh helped draft a bipartisan and comprehensive immigration reform proposal that would have secured the border once-and-for-all by adding thousands of border patrol agents.

Josh’s wife is the daughter of immigrants from India and Ecuador who came to America legally to pursue the American Dream, and Josh will always support legal immigration that has contributed so much to our country and community.

Josh supports policies that:

• Hire new border agents and ensure law enforcement has the resources they need to secure the border and stop and deter illegal immigration;
• Hire more immigration judges so asylum claims are processed quickly, fairly, and accurately;
• Halt the flow of fentanyl into the US by making long-overdue technological improvements at our ports of entry and expanding the number of fentanyl detection machines;
• Update visa programs to ensure our farmers and trades unions have access to labor; and
• Reflect America’s values, including our tradition as a nation of immigrants and our identity as a nation of laws.

Strengthening Our Democracy

To do the hard work of solving common challenges with a shared purpose, we first must strengthen our democracy and restore faith in it–and in each other. Josh supports proposals that:

• Protect access to the ballot, particularly for servicemembers and communities whose rights to vote historically have been suppressed;
• End partisan gerrymandering–because voters should choose their political leaders, not the other way around; and
• Reform our corrupt campaign finance system.

Supporting Small Farmers

Josh knows that our agricultural industry is vital to both Upstate New York and the country. Among other things, Josh supports policies that:

• Break up Big Ag monopolies that are crushing small family farms and squeezing consumers and prohibit them from using corporate PACs to buy influence with politicians;
• Stop foreign adversaries like China from buying up American farmland–because food security is national security and our heartland should not for sale to those who wish us harm;
• Improve access to markets for Upstate New York’s farmers, including through local and regional food hubs, renegotiating bad trade deals, and putting more local foods in local schools;
• Put Upstate New York’s farmers on a level playing field by increasing the federal minimum wage to match New York’s;
• Invest in innovation, research, and development, including through Cornell’s cooperative extension;
• Address the suicide and mental health crisis facing small farms today, including through federal support for programs like New York FarmNet;
• Reward farmers who protect the environment, including by reauthorizing the Farm Bill to increase reimbursement rates for cover crops and other sustainability practices; and
• Fix our broken immigration system to ensure small farms have access to the labor they need.

Making Things in America Again

Throughout history, when the world has faced big challenges, Upstate New Yorkers have risen to meet them by making the things the world needs to meet the moment. Josh believes we can revitalize our economy and rebuild the middle class by putting Upstate New York back on the forefront of manufacturing to build batteries, semiconductors, solar panels, and other products the world needs now. Josh supports policies that:

• Invest in American manufacturing, and create thousands of good-paying union jobs right here in Upstate New York making the things the world needs;
• Provide job training programs to equip workers with the skills they need to compete in the global economy and fill advanced manufacturing jobs;
• Confront China’s unfair practices that undermine American manufacturing;
• End bad trade deals that ship American jobs overseas by forcing American workers to compete with foreign labor on unfair terms; and
• Foster innovation in emerging industries like digital currencies, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology.

Working Toward Racial Justice

Civil rights enforcement is critically important as communities of color continue to face unique barriers to the American Dream. As counsel in the U.S. Senate, Josh worked on legislation to advance racial justice, including bills to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenses (thereby giving judges more discretion in sentencing decisions), and he worked on legislation to help inmates build productive lives after serving their sentences. Josh supports policies that:

• Combat discrimination by strengthening and enforcing our civil rights and equal opportunity laws;
• Reduce recidivism by helping people find good jobs and housing after paying their debts and by sealing records for certain non-violent offenses; and
• Protect voting rights, particularly against efforts at disenfranchisement targeted at communities of color.

— Josh Riley's campaign website (July 23, 2026)

Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Campaign ads

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2024

Josh Riley did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Josh Riley did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Josh Riley campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House New York District 19	On the Ballot general	$4,825,666	$1,703,032
2024	U.S. House New York District 19	Won general	$9,846,326	$9,795,033
2022	U.S. House New York District 19	Lost general	$4,194,191	$4,177,164
Grand total			$18,866,183	$15,675,229
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

Notable endorsements

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Personal finance disclosures

Members of the House are required to file financial disclosure reports. You can search disclosure reports on the House’s official website here.

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 119th Congress, 2025

The 119th United States Congress began on January 3, 2025 and will conclude on January 3, 2027. At the start of the session, Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (219-215), and Republicans held the majority in the U.S. Senate (52-45). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 119th Congress, 2025

Vote	Bill and description	Status
Nay	An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14.   An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14 (H.R.1) was a reconciliation bill passed by the 119th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on 7/4/2025, which provided funding for various federal programs, increased the statutory debt limit, and addressed tax policy. It was also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill required a simple majority vote to pass in the House, as amended by the Senate, and Vice President J.D. Vance (R) cast a tie-breaking vote in favor of passage in the Senate.	Passed (218-214)
Nay	SAVE Act   The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), was a bill passed by the House of Representatives on 4/10/2025 that required individuals to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (220-208)
Nay	Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034.   Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034 (H.Con.Res.14) was a resolution agreed to by the House of Representatives on 4/10/2025, which established the congressional budget for the federal government for fiscal year 2025 and budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034 and provided reconciliation instructions for legislation to increase the statutory debt limit. The resolution was one of the budget resolutions proposed during the 2025 reconciliation process and required a simple majority vote to pass in the House, as amended by the Senate.	Passed (216-214)
Nay	Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026   The Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 (H.R.5371) was a bill passed by the 119th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on 11/12/2025, which ended the government shutdown that began on 10/1/2025 by appropriating funds for federal agencies through 1/30/2026 and providing appropriations for certain programs through the end of fiscal year 2026. The bill required a simple majority vote to pass in the House, as amended by the Senate.	Passed (222-209)
Nay	Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025   The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (H.R.1968) was a bill passed by the 119th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on 3/15/2025, which provided appropriations for federal agencies for the fiscal year 2025 and extended various expiring authorities and programs. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (217-213)
Yea	GENIUS Act   The GENIUS Act (S.1582) was a bill passed by the 119th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on 7/18/2025, which created a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, digital assets with a fixed redeemable value. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (308-122)
Yea	Epstein Files Transparency Act   The Epstein Files Transparency Act (H.R.4405) was a bill passed by the 119th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on 11/19/2025, which required the Department of Justice to publish all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials related to Jeffrey Epstein's investigation and prosecution in a searchable format. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (427-1)
Not Voting	Laken Riley Act   The Laken Riley Act (S.5) was a bill passed by the 119th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on 1/29/2025, which required the Department of Homeland Security to detain certain individuals residing in the United States without legal permission who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting and authorized states to sue the federal government for alleged failures related to immigration enforcement. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (263-156)
Nay	NORRA of 2025   The No Rogue Rulings Act, or NORRA of 2025 (H.R.1526), was a bill passed by the House of Representatives on 4/9/2025 that would limit the authority of federal district courts to issue injunctions, allowing them to issue injunctions that apply only to the parties in the case before the court. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (219-213)
Yea	Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025   The Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025 (H.R.875) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives on 6/26/2025 that would make driving while impaired or intoxicated grounds for barring an individual residing in the United States without legal permission from admission into the country or for deportation of the individual. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (246-160)
Nay	Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025   The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 (H.R. 28) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives on 1/14/2025 that would prohibit school athletic programs from allowing individuals whose sex was male to participate in programs for women or girls.	Passed (218-206)

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Political offices
Preceded by Marcus Molinaro (R)	U.S. House New York District 19 2025-Present	Succeeded by -

[show]

New York's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Kirsten Gillibrand (D)

Chuck Schumer (D)

Representatives

District 1

Nicholas LaLota (R)

District 2

Andrew Garbarino (R)

District 3

Tom Suozzi (D)

District 4

Laura Gillen (D)

District 5

Gregory Meeks (D)

District 6

Grace Meng (D)

District 7

Nydia Velazquez (D)

District 8

Hakeem Jeffries (D)

District 9

Yvette Clarke (D)

District 10

Daniel Goldman (D)

District 11

Nicole Malliotakis (R)

District 12

Jerrold Nadler (D)

District 13

Adriano Espaillat (D)

District 14

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)

District 15

Ritchie Torres (D)

District 16

George Latimer (D)

District 17

Michael Lawler (R)

District 18

Pat Ryan (D)

District 19

Josh Riley (D)

District 20

Paul Tonko (D)

District 21

Elise Stefanik (R)

District 22

John Mannion (D)

District 23

Nick Langworthy (R)

District 24

Claudia Tenney (R)

District 25

Joseph Morelle (D)

District 26

Tim Kennedy (D)

Democratic Party (21)

Republican Party (7)

Capital: Albany

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