Big Law’s Josh Riley Loses Congress Bid Against GOP Vet in NY

Democrat Josh Riley, who left a major law firm to run for Congress, lost his race in upstate New York to a GOP veteran in a close contest.

Marc Molinaro, Dutchess County’s executive, bested Riley, according to Associated Press. Molinaro won in the 19th congressional district, which includes parts of the Catskills, mid-Hudson Valley, and Riley’s hometown of Endicott.

Molinaro’s win is a bright spot for a House Republicans, who are underperforming their hopes for a wave of victories in the midterm elections. While final results aren’t in, Republicans look to have a narrow majority in the chamber.

The 41-year-old Riley, who worked for Big Law’s Boies Schiller and later Jenner & Block, had touted his roots in the district, experience on Capitol Hill, and track record as an attorney as potential assets to the district if he won the election.

Riley had spent a year at Jenner as a congressional investigations attorney before he moved to Ithaca, NY—about an hour north of his hometown of Endicott—and announced a run for Congress.

He lost despite a $1.4 million cash lead in the race, including contributions from his former colleagues at Boies Schiller, Jenner & Block, and others who have moved to other powerful firms like Paul Weiss and King & Spalding.

His background as a Washington DC lawyer turned political candidate was the frequent target of carpetbagger accusations from Republicans who called him a “swamp creature.” The political newcomer also faced Molinaro’s name recognition after three decades in New York politics and government and an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2018.

Riley was among several Democrats playing defense in New York, where a judge threw out a an attempt to redraw voting districts in the party’s favor earlier this year. Districts such as NY-19 that were once deemed safe turned into battlegrounds with the redrawn map.