Meet Josh Taveras

Josh Taveras is a proud son of Long Island, born in Bay Shore and raised in Copiague by a working-class Dominican immigrant family. A first-generation American, Josh’s life has been shaped by resilience, service, and the fight for opportunity.

Growing up, Josh knew hardship. His father passed away in a tragic boating accident when Josh was just 16. His mother has battled Huntington’s disease, a terminal illness, since he was a child. Raised by his aunt under kinship care, Josh experienced the harsh realities of poverty, food insecurity, and the emotional weight of caregiving from a young age. He often served as a translator for his family, navigating systems that weren’t built for families like his.

Despite these challenges, Josh graduated in the top of his high school class and became politically active early on, protesting for justice, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, and standing with working-class communities across Long Island. His lived experience as a gay, Latino, first-generation college graduate informs his unwavering commitment to equity, justice, and opportunity for all.

Josh earned his Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Stony Brook University after overcoming years of financial setbacks that forced him to leave college. Thanks to new laws prohibiting transcript holds over student debt, he was able to return to school, rebuild his GPA, and fulfill his dream of graduating, proof that systemic change can transform lives.

He currently works as a dual store manager at Fragrance.com, overseeing two retail locations, while running a grassroots campaign powered entirely by everyday people, not corporate PACs. He is running for Congress in New York’s 2nd District to give working-class communities the voice they deserve in Washington.

Josh’s story isn’t one of privilege. It’s one of perseverance, and it’s the story of so many families across Long Island. He’s running on a bold agenda for affordable housing, climate action, LGBTQ+ equality, immigrant justice, and public investment in education, healthcare, and transportation.

Because our future deserves someone who’s lived what we’re fighting for.