Rep. Pat Ryan: Congress has to be able to tackle multiple priorities at once.

What is motivating you to run for Congress?

At the end of the day, I’m a parent, and I have to think about what kind of community and country I want my two kids to grow up in. I’ve served my country in combat, and I’ve served my community here as Ulster County executive. Earlier this year, I ran for Congress in the special election to continue that fight. In Washington, I’m working to protect the fundamental American freedoms that I fought for overseas and to deliver needed economic relief for hardworking families.

You found yourself in a strange position this summer and fall, running for one district and then immediately running for a brand new district, because of the special election situation. What has that been like? What are the similarities and differences between CD-18 and CD-19? 

Redistricting caused a lot of confusion for voters in New York. The district where we won the special election this summer was considered a Republican seat – the so-called experts said a Democrat couldn’t win here and that our campaign should avoid talking about abortion at all costs. We didn’t listen. In the wake of the disastrous Dobbs decision, we made protecting women’s reproductive freedom a central issue in our campaign, and clearly that resonated with voters.