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Iraq War Vet Will Challenge Faso

West Point grad is the seventh Democrat to run against Republican incumbent

Democratic House candidate Pat Ryan said his grandfather is his inspiration in announcing his challenge to Rep. John Faso. (Pat Ryan for Congress via Facebook)
Democratic House candidate Pat Ryan said his grandfather is his inspiration in announcing his challenge to Rep. John Faso. (Pat Ryan for Congress via Facebook)

Iraq War veteran Pat Ryan became the seventh Democrat to announce he would attempt to challenge New York Republican Rep. John Faso in 2018.

Faso won an open seat in New York’s 19th Congressional District, beating law professor and liberal activist Zephyr Teachout last year.

Ryan is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served two tours in Iraq as an Army intelligence officer, according to the Daily Freeman.

“In the Army, we put the country first, and it’s time for Washington to do the same,” he told the newspaper.

Though Ryan is from the area, he currently lives in Brooklyn and works for a technology company, but he is searching for a residence in the district.

The district is a swing district presidentially, voting narrowly for President Donald Trump last year, but it broke for Barack Obama in 2012, according to an analysis by liberal website the Daily Kos.

The district is among a number of Trump-won districts that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting.

Faso is considered a moderate on climate change but has faced some criticism for his vote to replace the 2010 health care law.

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