McConkey to participate in Trump inauguration parade

The Air Force colonel was a congressional candidate in 2024

Air Force Col. Josh McConkey, who ran for Congress last year, will help lead Presidential Inauguration Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue on Monday. (Courtesy Josh McConkey)

RALEIGH — Former U.S. Congressional candidate Josh McConkey participate in his official military capacity in the upcoming inauguration ceremonies for President Donald Trump.

“As a history enthusiast, I deeply value the significance of the presidential inauguration — an event that has embodied tradition for nearly 240 years,” McConkey told North State Journal. “It is an extraordinary honor to be part of this historic moment and to proudly represent both North Carolina and the world’s strongest Air Force.”

McConkey, a resident of Apex and medical doctor, finished fifth out of the 14 Republicans who vied for the state’s 13th Congressional seat in the March 2024 primary. While McConkey didn’t succeed in the primary, he did win big just weeks earlier with a Cash5 lottery ticket windfall of more than $757,000.

McConkey has 23 years of military service and is currently a colonel with the 459th Aeromedical Staging Squadron out of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. His unit is attached to the 459th Air Refueling Wing.

McConkey has been selected for the honor to help lead the Presidential Inauguration Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in the nation’s capital Jan. 20. All branches of the military are represented in the parade, accompanied by marching bands, floats and other musical elements.

After the president and vice president are sworn in, the Presidential Inauguration Parade will begin at noon on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol and will proceed down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.

Since 1901, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has been responsible for planning and executing presidential inaugural ceremonies.

Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president will be the 60th inauguration ceremony held, and its theme is “Our Enduring Democracy: A Constitutional Promise.” The theme embodies the commitment to future generations by the nation’s founding fathers to preserve the “continuity and stability” of the republic and its government.

About A.P. Dillon 1537 Articles
A.P. Dillon is a North State Journal reporter located near Raleigh, North Carolina. Find her on Twitter: @APDillon_