Candidate Profile: Democrat Josh Riley For Congressional District 19

ITHACA, NY — In 2022's general election, residents of the Hudson Valley will be voting for state and local officials.

In anticipation, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles before election day Nov. 8.

The newly drawn Congressional District 19 covers 11 counties in part or whole: Broome, Chenango, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins and Ulster.

Josh Riley is running on the Democratic Party Line to represent District 19 in Congress against Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro of Red Hook in the November general election.

Riley, 41, is an attorney who lives in Ithaca with his wife and 2-year-old son. He graduated from The College of William & Mary in 2003 and Harvard Law School in 2007.

He served as staff assistant in the Office of Congressman Maurice Hinchey; policy analyst in the U.S. Department of Labor; Heyman Fellow on the U.S. Senate Labor & Pensions Committee; Law Clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; general counsel to Senator Al Franken on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

His campaign website can be found here.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am running for Congress to represent the region that raised me. I'm a fifth-generation Upstate New Yorker. My family came here over 100 years ago to work in the local factories. During my generation, I saw us lose a lot of those jobs as the plants closed down. Many working families in Upstate New York have been sold out and overlooked by corruption in our politics and greed in our economy.

I've spent much of my career fighting back — doing civil rights work for kids from low-income families who needed healthcare services, bringing Democrats and Republicans together to fight the opioid epidemic, and arguing in federal court for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to enshrine women's reproductive freedom into law. In Congress, I'll continue to fight to put working families first, not the special interests.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I was born in this district; my opponent wasn't. I was raised in this district; my opponent wasn't. I live in this district; my opponent doesn't. I have deep roots in this district; my opponent has none. I don't take corporate PAC money; my opponent does. I am pro-choice; my opponent isn't. I have private sector experience; my opponent doesn't. I supported recent federal legislation to lower prescription drug costs; my opponent opposed it. I supported recent federal legislation to invest in high-tech manufacturing jobs in Upstate New York; my opponent opposed it. I supported recent federal legislation requiring big corporations to pay their fair share of taxes; my opponent opposed it.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

You can see a list of top issues at our website, JoshRileyForCongress.com. Our priorities include: defending and strengthening our Democracy; fighting for women's rights, including access to abortion; lowering the cost of living (including the cost of housing); reforming the healthcare system to put patients over profits; fighting climate change; giving our small farmers a fair shot to get ahead; and creating innovative new jobs across Upstate New York.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have a proven track record of taking on big fights in big places for working families. As counsel in the U.S. Senate, I fought corporations that tried to exploit workers or raise their prices on consumers, and I brought Democrats and Republicans together pass legislation to protect survivors of domestic violence from homeless and to fight the opioid epidemic here in Upstate New York. As an attorney, I have fought against insurance companies that tried to raise prices on small businesses, and I took on the Trump Administration when it tried to deport Dreamers and ban religious minorities.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Work hard and be nice to people.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

You can learn more about me and our campaign (and sign up to volunteer!) at JoshRileyForCongress.com.