Growing up in Kingston as a fifth-generation Ulster County resident, Pat Ryan’s entire life has been shaped by a desire to serve his community. His mom, Patti, was a public school teacher at Chambers Elementary School, and his father, Kevin, ran a small business in Kingston and was an active community leader. Their example taught Pat that we have an obligation to give back to our community and to take care of everyone in it – especially the most vulnerable among us.

After graduating from Kingston High School, Pat attended West Point and served two combat tours in Iraq as an Army intelligence officer. After leaving the military, he founded a small technology company, which he grew to over 150 employees. As an executive, Pat managed a $25 million annual budget and worked to build partnerships with government and nonprofit organizations. He also implemented progressive policies like paid family leave, and created a jobs training program for veterans without college degrees, equipping them with tech skills to ensure they had high-paying jobs.

Following his business career, Pat has worked as a progressive leader in Ulster County. Running for Congress in the Democratic primary last year, Pat led the charge for a ban on assault weapons, mobilizing dozens of students to protest for safer gun laws, and advocated for universal healthcare and policies to stop climate change. Although Pat was the runner-up in that race, that didn’t stop him from working to make Ulster County a better place. He rallied behind Rep. Antonio Delgado and worked tirelessly to help elect Democrats up and down the ticket to advance a progressive agenda at all levels of our government.

Pat lives in Gardiner with his wife, Rebecca, and their two rescue cats. Now as a candidate for County Executive, he has a clear vision for how to lead Ulster County forward and build on the progress we’ve made in the last decade:

• Pat will implement a Green New Deal in Ulster County to create jobs and protect our environment.
• Pat will fight to reform our criminal justice system to ensure that Ulster County remains a beacon of justice across the state and nation.
• Pat will promote economic development that benefits all of our residents – not just the wealthiest few.
• And Pat will make sure that county government fights back against dangerous Trump administration policies that harm Ulster County residents.