New Ulster County Executive Elected Tuesday

KINGSTON, NY — Ulster County elected a new executive Tuesday in a special election, even though he will have to face re-election in a few months. Democrat Pat Ryan won over Republican Jack Hayes.

According to unofficial results at the Ulster County Board of Elections website, Ryan received 11,729 votes and Hayes received 4,084.

The election was to pick an interim county executive after Mike Hein resigned to become the commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, a post which Gov. Andrew Cuomo chose him for in January. The four-year term for which he was elected expires at the end of December.

Ryan graduated from Kingston High School and attended West Point, after which he served two combat tours in Iraq as an Army intelligence officer, according to his campaign website.

He founded a technology company, which he said grew to more than 150 employees.

Ryan ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2018 in the Democratic primary.

He is a resident of Gardiner.

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