Josh Riley Bio
Joshua Paul Riley (born January 21, 1981) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York’s 19th congressional district since 2025. Born and raised in Endicott, New York, Riley built a career in public service and law before entering Congress, where he has focused on agriculture, energy assistance, and rural community support. He lives in Ithaca with his family.
Riley’s district covers parts of southeastern Upstate New York, including the cities of Ithaca and Binghamton. A graduate of the College of William & Mary and Harvard Law School, he has combined legal training with experience in federal labor policy and Senate committee work.
Early Life and Background
Joshua Paul Riley was born on January 21, 1981, in Endicott, New York, to Paul and Barbara Riley. He grew up in the same community where his parents raised him, attending Union-Endicott High School and graduating in 1999. His upbringing in a working-class region of Upstate New York helped shape his early interest in public policy and government.
During his time at Union-Endicott High School, Riley developed an interest in civic affairs that would guide his later studies. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in government and economics from the College of William & Mary in 2003, broadening his understanding of law, public administration, and economic policy.
While in college, Riley worked as an aide to U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey, an experience he has credited with inspiring his interest in public service. After graduating, he joined the United States Department of Labor as a policy analyst, focusing on unemployment and trade adjustment programs that supported workers affected by changing economic conditions.
Path to US Politics
In 2004, Riley enrolled at Harvard Law School, where he served as a Heyman Fellow on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. He also volunteered with a legal aid clinic that assisted victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, an experience that deepened his commitment to public-interest law.
Riley graduated from Harvard Law School in 2007 with a Juris Doctor and received the Dean’s Award for Community Leadership from then-Dean Elena Kagan. After law school, he joined the firm Boies Schiller Flexner as an associate, clerked for Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and later returned to the firm as a partner before moving to Jenner & Block.
From 2011 to 2014, Riley served as general counsel to Senator Al Franken on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, advising on judicial nominations, civil rights, and constitutional issues. His mix of private practice and government experience prepared him to run for federal office.
Josh Riley Career
Early Career (2003–2010)
After graduating from the College of William & Mary in 2003, Riley began his career as a policy analyst at the United States Department of Labor, working on programs that helped unemployed workers and those affected by international trade shifts. This role gave him firsthand exposure to federal policy-making and worker-support programs.
He entered Harvard Law School in 2004, where he continued to build his policy credentials through a Heyman Fellowship with the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Upon receiving his Juris Doctor in 2007, Riley started a legal career that combined private practice, judicial clerking, and Senate service over the following years.
2022 Congressional Campaign Breakthrough
In November 2021, Riley declared his candidacy for Congress in New York’s 22nd congressional district. After court-ordered redistricting reshaped the map, he ended up running in the new 19th congressional district in 2022, challenging Republican nominee and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro. Riley defeated businesswoman Jamie Cheney in the Democratic primary to secure his place on the general election ballot.
In the 2022 general election, Molinaro defeated Riley, ending his first congressional bid. Despite the loss, Riley’s strong performance in a competitive district positioned him as a leading Democratic voice in southeastern Upstate New York heading into the next cycle.
Riley’s 2022 campaign centered on issues such as rural healthcare, family farms, and economic investment in Upstate communities. His early showing in the newly drawn district demonstrated his appeal to voters in both suburban and rural areas.
119th Congress Era (2025–Present)
In November 2024, Riley ran as the Democratic nominee in a rematch against incumbent Republican Marc Molinaro for New York’s 19th congressional district. He won the seat with 51.1 percent of the vote to Molinaro’s 48.8 percent, contributing to a broader Democratic win in New York that saw the party flip three House seats in the state.
Riley was sworn into office on January 3, 2025, and was assigned to the House Committees on Agriculture and on Science, Space, and Technology. In February 2025, he introduced his first bill, a bipartisan measure to update the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program by raising funding caps and broadening eligibility for low-income households.
Amid an ongoing avian flu outbreak in New York, Riley introduced bipartisan legislation to expand financial aid to all poultry producers within affected control zones, aiming to support family farms, contain the virus, and lower grocery costs for consumers. He also cosponsored the Lowering Egg Prices Act, a bipartisan bill to ease federal regulations on fresh and pasteurized eggs. In December 2025, Riley voted against a bill to reopen the federal government; after a 43-day shutdown ended, he expressed support for the inclusion of $2.6 million in projects in his district.
Notable Events and Milestones
Riley’s 2024 victory over incumbent Marc Molinaro marked the defining moment of his political career, flipping a competitive Upstate New York seat for the Democrats. His early legislative work on weatherization assistance and avian-flu relief has shaped his early identity in Congress as a bipartisan dealmaker focused on rural and agricultural issues.
Josh Riley Career Wins
Josh Riley has won one U.S. House election in his political career, capturing New York’s 19th congressional district in 2024. That victory, secured with 51.1 percent of the vote, returned the seat to Democratic control and contributed to a broader party surge in New York during the 2024 cycle.
U.S. House of Representatives Highlights
Riley’s first and only congressional win came in the November 2024 general election, when he defeated incumbent Republican Marc Molinaro. The rematch followed their 2022 contest, in which Molinaro prevailed. Riley’s 2024 victory marked a turnaround in a district reshaped by court-ordered redistricting.
He was sworn in on January 3, 2025, becoming the representative for a district that includes Ithaca, Binghamton, and surrounding rural communities in southeastern Upstate New York. His early legislative activity has centered on agriculture, energy assistance, and rural economic development.
Other Wins & Achievements
Before entering Congress, Riley earned the Dean’s Award for Community Leadership from Harvard Law School in 2007, presented by then-Dean Elena Kagan. He also built a distinguished legal career as a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner and Jenner & Block, along with service as general counsel to Senator Al Franken on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
Josh Riley Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Joshua Paul Riley was born to Paul and Barbara Riley in Endicott, New York. His parents raised him in the same working-class community of Upstate New York that he now represents in part through his congressional district. Their support helped shape his early interest in public service and law.
Riley lives in Ithaca, New York, with his wife, Monica Kohli, a strategy consultant. The couple married in Washington, D.C., in 2016 and have two sons, balancing family life with his duties in Congress.