“Our campaign finance system is a cesspool and we need to drain it. I’ve worked to overturn Citizens United, and I’m proud to be the only candidate in this race who has never taken a penny of corporate PAC money. When I go to Congress, I’ll fight for you, not special interests.”
— Josh Riley
Josh Riley
Candidate for United States Congress
About Josh
I’m Josh Riley, and I’d be honored to represent you in Congress. I’m a fifth-generation Upstate New Yorker, and I’ve spent my career in the courts and in Congress fighting for working-class neighborhoods like the one I grew up in.
In public service, I worked as a Staff Assistant for Congressman Maurice Hinchey, as a fellow on Senator Ted Kennedy’s Labor & Pensions Committee, a clerk for Kim Wardlaw on the federal court of appeals, and as counsel on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. In private practice, I’ve fought for equal rights, better healthcare, and campaign finance reform.
Josh’s Priorities
Defend And Strengthen Our Democracy
I’ve proposed several steps we must take to strengthen our Democracy, including: passing the Electoral Count Act to ensure peaceful transitions of power; restoring the Voting Rights Act to make it easier to vote; overturning Citizens United to fix our broken campaign finance system; and ending partisan gerrymandering.
Revitalize, Innovate, And Strengthen The Economy
Growing up, I saw widespread job loss as the plants closed down. We need to put Upstate New York back at the forefront of industry and innovation, creating good-paying jobs of the future, investing in our crumbling infrastructure, and supporting the labor movement.
Cut Costs For Working Families
Costs are too high for too many working families. We need to provide relief, including by: lowering the cost of prescription drugs; expanding Medicare to cover hearing, dental, and vision; and reinstating tax cuts for working families, not corporations that ship jobs overseas.
Protect The Environment & Fight Climate Change
The Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, and Catskills are national treasures and must be protected as such. We must restore environmental regulations that were rolled back during the Trump Administration, and we must enforce them. Meanwhile, we must create good green jobs here in Upstate New York
Health Care Is A Civil Right
I’ve argued in federal court, and I believe in my heart-and-soul, that health care should be a civil right in America, not something that bankrupts so many families. We must restore women’s access to abortion, improve access to healthcare in rural communities, and invest in mental health services.
“After law school, I turned down jobs working with the banks on Wall Street and instead partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics in a civil rights lawsuit on behalf of low-income kids who needed help getting access to healthcare services. Wall Street doesn’t need another vote in Congress, but working families do.”
—Josh Riley
Josh Riley is Endorsed by:
Ulster County Democratic Committee
Broome County Democratic Executive Committee
Tompkins County Democratic Committee
Chenango County Democratic Committee
Cortland County Democratic Committee
Tompkins County Progressives
Clermont Democrats
Communications Workers of America District 1
Assemblymember Anna Kelles
Cortland County Democratic Minority Leader Beau Harbin
Dryden Deputy Supervisor and former Congressional Nominee Dan Lamb
Former Tompkins County Legislature Chair and Congressional Nominee Martha Robertson
Former Congressional Nominee Tracy Mitrano
Former Congressional Nominee Dana Balter
New York State Democratic Committee Vice-Chair, Former Democratic Rural Conference Chair, and Former Tompkins County Democratic Committee Chair Irene Stein
Voter Protection Project
Defend the Vote
Democrats Serve
Backroads PAC
