Mid-Hudson News is reporting that Congressman-elect and outgoing Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan has done an about-face and endorsed former state Senator Jen Metzger for the Democratic nomination to succeed him. On September 6 Ryan announced he would not endorse a candidate to succeed him, saying the county Democratic Committee would choose the best person to run. “We’ll leave that to the folks wiser than me — the voters and residents of the county, to decide who’s next...," Ryan said at the time. Three Democrats are in the running for the party endorsement, which will be decided at the party convention on September 17. The person chosen will effectively be the next county executive since no Republican has entered the race. The other two Democrats interested in filling the position are County Comptroller March Gallagher and Deputy County Executive Marc Rider. In the September 10 announcement Ryan said, “I proudly endorse Jen Metzger for Ulster County executive because I know she will build upon the many successes that we have had here in Ulster County. Jen is a person of integrity, who brings great compassion to understanding the needs of the community. She has the experience and the drive to deliver results.” Read more at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.