Born in Trenton and raised in Bordentown, Josh's roots in the Fourth Congressional District run deep. The son of an Army veteran and a social worker, he learned from an early age about the importance of public service. Growing up in a small town, Josh developed an early appreciation of the values that make central Jersey great: dedication to community and neighborhood, the importance of volunteerism, and a willingness to roll up one's sleeves and pitch in.

After graduating from Bordentown Regional High School, Josh went on to earn his B.A. from Swarthmore College, where he ran a volunteer tutoring program for underprivileged elementary school students in nearby Chester, Pennsylvania. He then earned a Ph.D. in American history at Brown University. During this time, Josh taught junior-high and high-school students at a summer academic enrichment program in Maryland and worked for a non-profit urban redevelopment corporation in New Brunswick.

Josh has taught American History at Rutgers University, Harvard University, and Cambridge University. He is the author of two books and has written widely on history and politics for leading newspapers, magazines, and journals. He is currently on a team of writers producing an American History textbook for use in high schools.