Why Rep. Pat Ryan was picked to speak on final night of DNC before Kamala Harris speech
Rep. Pat Ryan is set to join the lineup of speakers at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night, the finale of a four-day gathering in Chicago that culminates in Vice President Kamala Harris accepting the party's nomination for president.
Ryan, an Iraq war veteran elected to New York's 18th Congressional District seat in 2022, is expected to speak about military service and taking care of veterans, drawing on his own background and the famous military academy in his district. Ryan, whose district takes in all of Orange County and parts of Ulster and Dutchess counties, is the first West Point graduate in history to represent the academy in Congress.
Ryan is scheduled to speak between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. He is attending the convention as one of 307 delegates from New York, which includes a host of elected officials.
He was tapped on Wednesday for the speaking role, which gives him a prominent spotlight on the convention's final night. Other New York Democrats who have taken the stage before him include Gov. Kathy Hochul, who gave a speech on Monday; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who spoke on Tuesday; and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn, who addressed the crowd on Wednesday.
Ryan, an Ulster County native, graduated from West Point in 2004 and served 27 months in Iraq as an intelligence officer. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee and has focused on veterans' issues, including his dispatching a van in his district this summer so caseworkers could help vets and their families secure federal benefits and services.
Ryan won a special election for a vacant House seat in 2022 and claimed a full term in a separate race less than three months later. He's now seeking a second full term on Nov. 5., challenged by Republican Alison Esposito, a retired New York City police officer.
Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@gannett.com.