Times-Herald Record: Bay State congressman endorses Ryan in NY-1

Patrick Ryan, one of eight Democrats who’ve decided to run for congress against Rep. John Faso, has racked up his second endorsement despite the congressional race not being until November next year.

Congressman Seth Moulton, D-Salem, announced the endorsement of Ryan and seven other Democratic veterans on Wednesday, saying that the Democratic Party “needs a new generation of leadership” and that “it’s time to stop rehashing 2016 and deliver a vision for America that addresses the real challenges facing Americans in all parts of our country.”

“Pat is a Democrat running to represent New York’s 19th Congressional District, where he was born and raised,” Moulton said in a statement. “As a West Point-trained Army officer and technology entrepreneur, his career has been driven by service to our nation throughout his life. Pat’s commitment to finding creative solutions sparked technological advancements in the fight against terrorism and fueled job creation.”

Faso – a first-term Republican, attorney and former state Assemblyman – is from Kinderhook in Columbia County.

Ryan, 35, of Brooklyn, grew up in Kingston. He’s a graduate of Kingston High School and the United States Military Academy at West Point. He went on to serve two combat tours in Iraq, rising to the rank of captain. He began two start-up technology businesses and currently works for Dataminr, a New York City start-up company that analyzes data from social media. He said he’s currently searching with his wife for a home in Gardiner, Accord and Kingston.

Ryan and Moulton, who’s in his second term, already shared a connection. Ryan said he began considering a run for congress through a network of military veterans that included Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran and Democrat who represents Massachusetts’ sixth congressional district.

Both Moulton and Ryan were also recruited to run for Congress through the Boston-based group New Politics, that works to recruit those with public service backgrounds to run for office. The group helped recruit Moulton for his 2014 run for congress.

Last week, Ryan was endorsed by liberal VoteVets PAC, a Washington D.C.-based political action committee.

The 19th district includes all or part of 11 counties, including all of Ulster and Sullivan.