Josh S. Gottheimer

Democrat Representative of New Jersey's 5th district

Representative
New Jersey, district 5
January 3, 2017 - January 3, 2019
Representative
New Jersey, district 5
January 3, 2019 - January 3, 2021
Representative
New Jersey, district 5
January 3, 2021 - January 3, 2023
Representative
New Jersey, district 5
January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2025

202-225-4465

@RepJoshG

gottheimer.house.gov

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Congresses Served

House Terms

March 8, 1975 (49 years old)

Birthday

Served as U.S. representative for New Jersey’s 5th congressional district since 2017
Former speechwriter for Bill Clinton and adviser to Wesley Clark, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns
Worked for Burson Cohn & Wolfe, the Federal Communications Commission, Ford Motor Company, and Microsoft
Born to Jewish parents, a preschool teacher and a small business owner
Served as a U.S. Senate page at 16 and held internships with C-SPAN, the Secretary of the Senate, and Tom Foley
Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in American history
Attended Pembroke College, Oxford, on a Thouron Award and graduated from Harvard Law School with a Juris Doctor
Known for strong fundraising abilities and significant support from super PACs
Described as a fiscal conservative who is socially liberal, advocating for LGBT and abortion rights while promising not to raise taxes
Faced and defeated Republican Scott Garrett in 2016, marking the first Democrat to represent the district since 1981
Re-elected in 2018, 2020, and 2022, with a focus on bipartisan and moderate positions
Committee assignments include the Committee on Financial Services and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Member of the Blue Dog Coalition, New Democrat Coalition, Climate Solutions Caucus, Problem Solvers Caucus, and Congressional Coalition on Adoption
Considered a conservative Democrat, voted in line with Trump’s positions more often than any other Democrat during Trump’s presidency but supported President Joe Biden’s priorities 100% of the time in 2021 and 2022
Advocated for climate change initiatives, opposed the legalization of recreational marijuana but supported the MORE Act, and has been active in gun control legislation
Supported healthcare reforms within the Affordable Care Act framework but opposed single-payer healthcare
Strong advocate for women’s healthcare rights, including abortion and birth control access
Supported immigration reforms, including the Dream and Promise Act of 2019
Actively involved in infrastructure projects and opposed congestion pricing in Manhattan
Engaged in labor issues, including supporting the FAA to hire more air traffic controllers and backing police funding
Criticized for handling stock trades but pledged to establish a blind trust
Supported cryptocurrency regulation and investor protections
Advocated for preventing government shutdowns and restoring the full State And Local Tax (SALT) deduction
Criticized China and supported aid to Taiwan, Ukraine, and Israel, particularly during the Israel-Hamas War
Emphasized bipartisanship and was ranked as one of the most bipartisan members of the House
Called for Senator Bob Menendez’s resignation following indictment charges
Criticized for not supporting a resolution that would curtail war powers following the assassination of Qasem Soleimani
Confronted fellow Democrats over comments considered antisemitic and supported legislation to combat antisemitism on college campuses
Advocated for LGBTQ rights, including same-sex marriage and anti-discrimination measures
Edited a collection of American civil-rights speeches and co-authored a book on Barack Obama’s speeches
Married with two children and resides in Wyckoff, New Jersey