Candidate · November 3, 2026

Josh Gottheimer

On the ballot for U.S. House · New Jersey's 5th District

DemocraticIncumbent
raised through Oct 14, 2026
$5.8M
cash on hand
$14M
issues with public statements
7
outside spending for or against
$512K

§1On the ballot

Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.

OfficeU.S. House · New Jersey's 5th District1,2
Party on the ballotDemocratic1,2
StatusIncumbent — Currently represents New Jersey's 5th District in the U.S. House.3
Also on the ballot

§2Who they are

Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

He was first elected to Congress in 2016 and represents New Jersey's 5th District.4 He studied at the University of Pennsylvania, was a Thouron Fellow at Oxford and attended Harvard Law School.4 Before Congress he worked as a White House speechwriter, as senior advisor to the heads of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Federal Communications Commission, and at Ford Motor Company and Microsoft.4 In 2017 he became co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, and he serves on the House Financial Services Committee.4

Why they say they're running

His campaign website says voters elected him to fight for lower taxes and what it calls Jersey Values, and that he works across party lines on matters that benefit New Jersey.5

Service in Congress since 2023

  • 2025–nowU.S. Representative, NJ-53
  • 2023–2025U.S. Representative, NJ-53

Websites and accounts

§3What they've said on the issues

Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.

Taxes and Budget

State and local tax (SALT) deduction

His campaign website's About page says he has helped lead efforts to reinstate the state and local tax (SALT) deduction.4

Property taxes

His campaign website's About page says he is focused on bringing federal investment back to New Jersey so towns and counties can lower property taxes. A tax cut plan linked from its issues page, written for his run for governor, says he would lower New Jersey's average property tax rate to Connecticut's level, which it describes as about a 14.4 percent cut.4,7,8

State government spending

A tax cut plan linked from his campaign website's issues page, written for his run for governor, says he would order an efficiency review of state government aiming to save about 5 percent of costs, and would tie each town's property tax cut to it finding similar savings in its own budget.7,8

State income tax

A tax cut plan linked from his campaign website's issues page, written for his run for governor, says he would add state income tax credits, including a $500 yearly refundable credit for renters, a Family Tax Credit for families with dependents, and $1,000 off state income taxes in the year they turn 70 for seniors who have lived in the state for at least ten years.7,8

Crime, Policing and Prisons

Police funding

His campaign website's About page says he introduced the bipartisan Invest to Protect Act, which it describes as creating a new grant program for local police departments with fewer than 200 officers.4

Social Security and Medicare

Social Security benefit levels

His campaign website's About page says he has fought to protect Social Security and Medicare against attempts to privatize or cut them.4

Infrastructure and Transportation

Highway and transit funding

His campaign website's About page says he has worked to fix roads and bridges and to move the Gateway Project forward.4

§4Popular bills that never got a vote

Why this matters: Many bills with wide support from both parties never reach a vote, so no member of Congress is ever on record for or against them. Signing on as a sponsor or cosponsor is the only public record of support.

While Josh Gottheimer served, these bills had broad support from both parties but never reached a floor vote. No officeholder ever had to vote on them. Josh Gottheimer sponsored or cosponsored 51 of the 52. How bills die without a vote.

See all 52

§5Money

Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left. Outside groups that spend on their own, without coordinating with the campaign, report that too.

Reported to the Federal Election Commission for the 2025–2026 election cycle, through October 14, 2026.61

Raised$5,788,812
Spent$12,970,258
Cash on hand$13,531,047

Where the money came from

Individual donors$3.5M · 61%
PACs and other political committees$1.2M · 22%
Transfers from the candidate's other committees$314K · 5%
Other receipts (other loans, refunds, interest)$720K · 12%

Outside spending

Groups spending independently reported $512,385 supporting and $0 opposing Josh Gottheimer this cycle, primary and general combined, in the 24- and 48-hour reports the law requires for larger expenditures, filed through October 10, 2026.62

Largest independent spenders, as named in their FEC filings.
GroupSupportingOpposing
Protect Progress$512,385—

Smaller expenditures that appear only on a group's regular monthly or quarterly report aren't in these totals, so the full amounts can be somewhat higher. When a group amends a report, only its latest version is counted.

§6Financial disclosures

Why this matters: Federal candidates and members of Congress must report their assets, income, debts and outside jobs, and members must report stock trades. These filings show possible conflicts of interest.