Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

In his first term in the State Senate, Josh has effectively represented Wake County. He earned the highest effectiveness ranking for a freshman senator in a decade and was named legislator of the year by groups as diverse as the AARP, the NC Sustainable Energy Association and the Metro Mayors Coalition, which includes Raleigh and Cary. He worked to create good jobs in the clean energy and high tech sectors, protect our public school budgets, and preserve Wake County's quality of life.

Josh has devoted his entire career to public service, working as a teacher, a manager of a low-income housing initiative, a U.S. Senate aide, and a public lawyer.

For eight years, Josh served as North Carolina's Deputy Attorney General for Consumer Protection. Josh led efforts to crack down on child sexual predators who use Internet sites like MySpace and Facebook, and he successfully took on predatory lenders. Josh also helped to enact laws fighting identity theft, unwanted telemarketing, and price gouging at the General Assembly.

After graduating from Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government in 1995, Josh worked with the Self-Help Credit Union in Durham, transforming drug houses into single-family homes. Josh also taught high school in Zimbabwe for two years following his graduation from Dartmouth College in 1988.

Josh and his wife Anna have three children - Sam (11), Adam (9), and Leah (6) - who attend Wake County public schools. Josh grew up in the Triangle, and he and Anna both attended North Carolina public schools.

In 2008, Interact, Wake County's nationally recognized domestic violence organization, named Josh its volunteer of the year. He and Anna are members of Temple Beth Or. He enjoys playing soccer, coaching his children's sports teams, participating in Y Guides/Princesses program, and watching college basketball.

Over the past 20 years, I've had a variety of jobs. I taught high school in Africa, developed low-income housing, raised capital to invest in small businesses, served as a U.S. Senate aide, directed the state's Consumer Protection Division, and now teach at Campbell Law School, in addition to serving in the State Senate.

While I've had a number of jobs, I have had one career - public service - and one goal - to improve people's lives. That's what I've tried to do in the State Senate.

To create good paying jobs, I supported efforts to reward investments in the clean energy and high tech sectors.

I worked to protect budgets of public schools, community colleges and public universities.

I co-sponsored legislation giving law enforcement greater ability to use DNA to solve cold cases and put violent criminals in prison.

I wrote the bill banning internet sweepstakes casinos that prey on financially desperate people, creating conflicts in their families and crime in our communities.

I worked to clean our polluted sources of drinking water - Falls and Jordan lakes - as well as to promote public transportation to relieve traffic congestion.

I also worked to restore public confidence in state government helping to craft ethics and good government legislation that requires greater transparency and accountability by elected officials and state employees.

I would like to continue serving in the State Senate to address the challenges our state faces. We must continue to create an environment where small business can succeed and create jobs. We must continue to improve our children's educations. We must continue to balance our budget by being fiscally responsible while prioritizing job creation and education.

I would be honored to have your support this November.