Josh Riley, a 5th generation native of Binghamton and graduate of Union-Endicott, has announced his running for a Congressional seat in the 22nd District in New York.

It's Riley's first campaign for any form of public office, and said that he has decided to pursue the position because he feels that there needs to be new voices on capitol hill.

"Washington just hasn't been working for the working people, and politicians from both parties have been failing to deliver." said Riley. "I think we need new voices and new perspectives and someone who's committed to bringing people together -- to strengthen the middle class, revitalize the economy, and bring in new jobs for the future." 

Riley cites his family's history in Binghamton, who have lived here for over 100 years, as the source for his inspiration and motivation toward making NY-22 a stronger economic force once again.

"One of the things that was instilled in me growing up in the Southern Tier was the simple promise that if you work really really hard, and you play by the rules, and you're decent to other people -- then you can earn a place in the middle class." said Riley. 

Riley stated that in his work as a lawyer he's helped create safety measures for working class people who lose their jobs due to reasons out of their control, and has done civil rights work representing children from working class families who have difficulty getting access to health care services. He says he's also fought against bigger corporations for exploiting their workers.

According to Riley's resume on Linked In, he spent the past year as a partner at Jenner & Block's office in Washington DC, and prior to that, worked as a counselor and eventual partner at Boies, Schiller and Flexer LLP from November of 2014, until January of 2021. 

Among some of Riley's other positions held earlier in his career: Serving on the General Counsel to Senator Al Franken from 2011 to 2014, a Law Clerk in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Los Angeles, California from 2009 to 2010, and a Policy Analyst for the U.S Department of Labor from 2003 to 2004. 

Riley plans to continue touring and speaking with those in the Southern Tier this week as he kicks off his campaign.