Josh Riley

ON THE ISSUES

• Supports a transition to a 100% clean energy economy and will work to establish energy independence by ending our reliance on fossil fuels.
• Will work to protect New York’s natural treasures, including the Catskills and the Finger Lakes
• Decorated attorney who is committed to holding polluters accountable

WHY THIS RACE MATTERS

• Toss up race - in 2022 he lost by just under 2% of the vote 
• Flipping this seat will help win a pro-environmental majority in the House, making it easier to pass climate legislation at the federal level

CANDIDATE BACKGROUND

Josh Riley is running to represent New York's 19th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A fourth-generation native of Upstate New York, Riley began his career in public service as a Staff Assistant to U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey. He was a fellow on U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy’s Labor & Pensions Committee staff, working on legislation to raise the minimum wage and to protect the Family & Medical Leave Act. He then served as a Policy Analyst at the U.S. Department of Labor and after Hurricane Katrina, went to New Orleans to volunteer in a legal aid clinic assisting workers who lost their jobs because of the storm. After law school, Riley moved to South Florida to work with the American Academy of Pediatrics on a landmark civil rights lawsuit representing kids from low-income families who were having difficulty accessing the healthcare services they needed. He then served as a law clerk for Judge Kim Wardlaw on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California before returning to Washington to serve as General Counsel to U.S. Senator Al Franken on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Recently, as an attorney in private practice, Riley has filed briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court arguing for stronger campaign finance laws and better healthcare for all, among other important progressive issues. He is a strong supporter of transitioning New York’s economy to a 100% clean energy economy,  and will work to establish energy independence by ending our reliance on fossil fuels if elected to Congress. He is also running for Congress to protect New York's public treasures, ensure New York’s communities have access to 100% clean water, create jobs and hold polluters accountable. Riley is endorsed by NRDC Action Fund.