U.S. Representative
Josh Gottheimer
New Jersey District 5
DemocratModerate Liberal
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 healthcare#2 budget#3 other
65
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
-0.16Moderate Liberal
Representative Gottheimer positions himself as a moderate Democrat, with voting patterns that place him closer to the political center than many of his party colleagues. His NOMINATE score of -0.164 indicates he is more conservative than the average House Democrat (-0.380), suggesting he often seeks centrist or bipartisan approaches to legislation.
LiberalModerateConservative
Democrat avg
More conservative than the average Democrat (-0.38)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
65
total votes analyzed
Overview
Josh Gottheimer represents New Jersey's 5th Congressional District and has established himself as one of the more centrist members of the Democratic caucus. His voting record reflects a willingness to break from party orthodoxy on certain issues while generally supporting Democratic priorities on healthcare and other major legislation. Gottheimer has been particularly active on healthcare-related votes, participating in 41 recorded votes in this category with a 66% rate of voting in favor. His budget votes show a more split pattern at 56% approval, suggesting he weighs fiscal matters carefully and may seek compromise positions. His positioning as a moderate Democrat in a competitive district appears to influence his legislative approach, as evidenced by his deviation from the party average on the ideological spectrum. This centrist positioning is consistent with representatives from swing districts who must balance party priorities with constituent preferences.
Key Positions
- •Supports healthcare legislation at a moderate rate (66% approval)
- •Takes a measured approach to budget and fiscal matters
- •Consistently votes against procedural motions (Previous Question) that would limit debate
- •Supports education-related measures
- •Positions himself as a centrist within the Democratic caucus
By Policy Area
Healthcare41
66% yea34% nay
Budget & Spending9
56% yea44% nay
Other7
86% yea14% nay
Analysis updated: January 9, 2026
Campaign Finance
Follow the Money
Includes all authorized campaign committees (principal committee, joint fundraising, and other authorized committees). Outside spending by Super PACs and independent groups is shown separately below. Verify on FEC.gov →
Career: $43.5M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$3.2M
79%
PAC / Committees$882K
21%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$3.2M
Small Dollar (<$200)
$21K
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$35K · 1%
$200 – 499
$21K · 1%
$500 – 999
$131K · 4%
$1,000 – 1,999
$562K · 17%
$2,000+
$2.6M · 78%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (NJ)$624K · 19%
Out-of-state$2.7M · 81%
Itemized individual contributions only (donations over $200 report the donor's state). Small-dollar donations are not included because the FEC does not itemize them.
NY
$871K
NJ
$624K
CA
$493K
FL
$272K
IL
$128K
MA
$128K
CT
$126K
TX
$125K
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
NOT EMPLOYED$705K
SELF EMPLOYED$252K
NONE$92K
BLACKSTONE$60K
KKR & CO$48K
APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT$29K
BLACKROCK$25K
SNOW PARTNERS$21K
BAIN CAPITAL$21K
COINBASE$18K
STANDARD INDUSTRIES$14K
ANTHROPIC$14K
Employer as self-reported by itemized donors. “Not Employed” and “Self-Employed” typically rank highest for small-dollar campaigns and include retirees.
Where the Money Goes
Spending by Purpose
Other / Uncategorized
$12.6M
Refunds
$26K
Fundraising
$22K
Advertising
$11K
Travel
$3K
Materials
$2K
Administrative
$911.85
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$11.8M
AFFORDABLE NEW JERSEY
2.$301K
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
3.$179K
AMERICAN EXPRESS
4.$87K
THE FROST GROUP
5.$63K
DEMOCRACY ENGINE, LLC
6.$58K
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES
7.$45K
DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE OF BERGEN COUNTY
8.$28K
NEW BLUE INTERACTIVE, LLC
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$815K
Operating Offsets
$2K
Net Operating
$813K
Refunds
Individual Refunds
$25K
Committee Refunds
$250
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$6.1M
Opposing
$100K
Total Outside Spending
$6.2M
Top Outside Spenders
01
$3.8MNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS CONGRESSIONAL FUND
+$3.8M
02
$773KNO LABELS ACTION, INC.
+$773K
03
$350KPATRIOT MAJORITY PAC
+$350K
04
$305KCENTER FORWARD COMMITTEE
+$305K
05
$245KFAIRSHAKE
+$245K
06
$240KPROTECT PROGRESS
+$240K
07
$183KMOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION
+$183K
08
$99KHUMANE SOCIETY LEGISLATIVE FUND
+$99K
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2026FEC: H6NJ05171Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
61 votes across 8 categories