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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today honored his longtime chief of staff, Ryan Nelson, and thanked him for 28 years of dedicated service to the U.S. Senate and the people of South Dakota.

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“Mr. President, I come to the floor today to pay tribute to my longtime chief of staff, Ryan Nelson, who has decided to step down in the new year.

“And it’s difficult to know where to start to pay tribute to a man who has been indispensable to everything I have ever done in Congress.

“So perhaps I should start at the beginning, back in 1996 during the Republican primary for South Dakota’s lone House seat.

“I was a green candidate running on a shoestring budget.

“And one morning a campaign volunteer showed up at my door and announced that he was my driver.

“His name was Ryan Nelson.

“That day we headed to an event in Arlington, South Dakota.

“And unbeknownst to me, my new driver proceeded to lock his keys in the car.

“Now, this might have caused some campaign volunteers to panic.

“But not Ryan.

“He made his way over to a filling station, found someone who could get into the car, and retrieved the keys – all without my knowing that anything had ever happened.

“Well, that resourcefulness turned out to be a pretty good indicator of what was to come.

“Not the locking the keys in the car part, but the seeing a problem and solving it before I had even had a chance to become aware of it.

“Well, Ryan kept driving me around the state, and we ended up winning the primary.

“And Ryan came to a crossroads – both metaphorical and literal.

“You see, Ryan was originally just filling time on the campaign.

“He was scheduled to leave for the Kansas City police academy the day after the primary.

“And he was driving out of his hometown of Gettysburg, South Dakota, when he came to that literal crossroads.

“He’d have to go one way for the police academy, and the other way to stay with the campaign.

“He chose to stay with the campaign.

“And among the many blessings I’ve been given over the course of my career, I have to count that as one of the greatest.

“Ryan has now been with my team for 28 years.

“He has helped build my staff and guide my operations, mentored generations of Thune employees, and been a constant source of insight and wisdom.

“There is no one that I trust more.

“Ryan’s knowledge is deep and broad.

“He has an intuitive understanding of politics and an encyclopedic knowledge of South Dakota, and he is deeply connected to the needs of our state.

“I have relied on those qualities throughout my career.

“And not just on those qualities, but on his character.

“Ryan is someone who got into politics for all the right reasons.

“He’s not interested in personal glory – in fact, I think everyone who knows Ryan would agree that there is no one who more persistently dodges the spotlight!

“He got into politics to serve.

“He cares about our state, and he cares about our country.

“And he has done everything he can throughout his career to ensure a brighter future for both.

“Mr. President, I suppose Ryan is technically my employee – for a few more days, at least.

“But that’s not a word I think of when I think of Ryan.

“I think of words like ally, partner, and friend – and not just to me, but to my whole family.

“Ryan has cared as deeply for the wellbeing of my wife Kimberley and of our daughters Brittany and Larissa as he has for mine.

“When I think back to long days on the campaign trail when our family was young, I think of Ryan joking with the girls, jollying them along and keeping an eye out for when they needed a break.

“The long days on the trail used to sometimes wear on my younger daughter Larissa especially, and Ryan used to keep up her spirits by promising her her favorite chicken Alfredo at the end of the day.

“And of course, being Ryan, he never failed to deliver.

“In fact, ‘Chicken Alfredo’ is still a family joke.

“I know some of my daughters’ favorite memories are of days spent with Ryan and his wife Carmen – on the campaign trail or at the lodge then run by Ryan’s dad.

“We used to regularly spend time there as a family, and the girls loved nothing more.

“Doing puzzles, watching movies, riding on the four-wheelers, hunting … and then all gathering for a good meal at the end of the day.

“Ryan always made sure the girls’ favorites were on the menu.

“Of course, as devoted as Ryan has been to the Thune family, his greatest devotion is to his own family – to Carmen and to their sons Parker and Mitchell.

“When I decided to run for leader this year, he said that he would do everything he could to help, as he always has – but that he wouldn’t miss his son’s football games.

“And he hasn’t.

“I’m fairly sure that he has only missed one of his sons’ games in all the time they’ve played.

“And while it’s hard to think of his not being my chief of staff, I’m happy that he will have more time to spend with Carmen and with their boys.

“Mr. President, there’s so much more that I could say about Ryan.

“It’s hard to give a speech about him without mentioning his love of football.

“Between his own days as a standout high school and college player and his sons’ time playing the game, Ryan brings a wealth of football knowledge to the table.

“And then there is his dry sense of humor – and love of a prank or two.

“His deep faith.

“His loyalty.

“And his work ethic.

“It’s hard for me to believe that his time in my office is drawing to a close.

“The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4 that, I quote, ‘it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.’

“And there is no one who has been more faithful to his trust than Ryan Nelson.

“I am more grateful than I can ever say for his service.

“And I pray that God will richly bless him and his family in the new days ahead.

“Mr. President, I yield the floor.”