Josh grew up in Connecticut and attended high school in Hamden, graduated with a B.A. in Sociology from Ithaca College. He later went on to obtain his J.D. at Quinnipiac School of Law.
 

In 2016, he won a historic primary for the 88th District House seat, successfully challenging the sitting Speaker of the Connecticut House. Since then, Josh has been re-elected by wide margins each cycle. Over nearly a decade of service, he has established himself as a leading progressive voice, advancing policies that strengthen Connecticut’s economy and keep it competitive with surrounding states.

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As the founder and chair of the Tax Equity Caucus, Josh has been a driving force in efforts to reform Connecticut’s regressive tax system, ensuring that the wealthiest residents pay their fair share rather than shifting the burden onto low-income families. His commitment to working families is evident in his support for landmark legislation, including raising the minimum wage, guaranteeing paid sick days for all Connecticut workers, and establishing paid family and medical leave.

 

He believes so deeply that the right to vote is a fundamental feature of government that he has sponsored several bills aimed at efficiently reforming Connecticut’s electoral system. Among these are a bill that would restore voting privileges of formerly incarcerated individuals on parole, and a bill that would implement a ranked-choice voting system, which would allow a voter to rank candidates by their preference.

 

Josh is dedicated to improving the treatment of Connecticut's incarcerated population. He is an active advocate of banning the use of solitary confinement .He pushed for Connecticut to be the first state to remove the cost for incarcerated individuals to make phone calls to loved ones. Prior to this Connecticut had the highest cost in the United States for these calls. Studies show a positive correlation between family communication and lower reincarceration rates.

 

Josh has been at the forefront of many other important issues. He is working to ensure that Connecticut employs quality public health standards and was a champion for the elimination of the religious exemption for MMR vaccination for K-12 students. He has been a consistent advocate for women and LGBTQ+ communities, and he played a leading role in the successful effort to legalize cannabis in Connecticut—a step forward in ending the war on drugs and advancing social justice. As Chair of the Higher Education Committee, he championed the rights of faculty, staff, and students, passing critical legislation to combat sexual assault on college campuses and securing the right for student athletes to benefit from their Name, Image, and Likeness.

 

Currently, Representative Josh Elliott serves as Deputy Speaker and Majority Caucus Co-Chair. He is also a member of the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee, the Public Health Committee, and the Judiciary Committee. On the national stage, he served as chief whip for Kamala Harris from the Connecticut delegation at the Democratic National Convention and was one of the first elected officials in the state to endorse her presidential campaign.

 

In addition to his work in the legislature, Josh is co-owner of Thyme and Season, a grocery store in Hamden.