Ryan gives N.H. commencement address, evades question on presidential run

CONCORD, N.H.

U.S. Rep Tim Ryan called for “wiser, smarter, and bigger” leaders as he delivered the commencement address at the New Hampshire law school he graduated from 18 years ago.

And Ryan, of Howland, D-13th, who’s considered a potential 2020 Democratic presidential contender, told The Vindicator he’ll “have more to say at a later date” when asked whether his plans after November’s midterm elections include a possible White House run.

The congressman packed a lot into his day-and-a-half visit to New Hampshire, the state that traditionally holds the first presidential primary.

The highlight of the trip was delivering the commencement address at the University Of New Hampshire School Of Law. Ryan graduated from the school in 2000, when it was known as the Franklin Pierce School of Law.

In what may have been a veiled attack on Republican President Donald Trump, Ryan told the audience “we are living in a moment that calls out for leaders who are wiser, smarter, and bigger than our problems.”

“We need leaders who are established in that underlying unity of life so that they can see that differences in diversity, whether in language, the color of our skin, sexual orientation, cultural inflections, or political beliefs are our greatest strengths,” he said.

Read more about his visit in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.