Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher has become the first candidate seeking to replace Pat Ryan as Ulster County Executive.
Ryan won Tuesday”™s special election to fill the 19th Congressional District seat left open when Antonio Delgado resigned to become New York”™s lieutenant governor. Gallagher, a Democrat who was elected comptroller in 2020, announced her candidacy for county executive hours after Ryan”™s election victory.
“I believe that I am the right candidate to build upon Pat”™s good work here in Ulster, and lead us into the future, making Ulster County the very best place to live, go to school, work, raise a family and retire,” said Gallagher in a statement. “I know what it takes to effectively manage our county government, and what our working families, retirees, students, local governments, and businesses need in order to thrive.”
Prior to becoming comptroller, Gallagher was president and CEO of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley. She also served as chairwoman of the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency.
When Ryan resigns as county executive to be sworn in as a congressman, it is expected that Deputy County Executive Johanna Contreras will take over his responsibilities until a replacement is chosen in a special election.
Peter Katz contributed to this news story.
