New York's 61st State Senate district

District 61 encompasses Grand Island, Amherst, the Town of Tonawanda, the City of Tonawanda, and parts of Buffalo's Delaware, Ellicott, Masten, Niagara, North, and University wards.^[4]

The district is fully contained in New York's 26th congressional district, and contains parts or all of the 140th, 141st, 145th, 146th, and 149th districts of the New York State Assembly.^[5]

2026 New York State Senate election, District 61^[6]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jonathan Rivera
	Democratic	Jeremy Zellner (incumbent)
	Write-in
Total votes
General election
	Democratic
	Working Families
	Republican	Christopher McMaster
	Conservative	Christopher McMaster
	Total	Christopher McMaster
	Write-in
Total votes

Incumbent Sean Ryan resigned his seat on December 31, 2025 to serve as Mayor of Buffalo, triggering a special election. In special elections for state legislative offices, primaries are not held - county committee members for each party select nominees.^[7]

2026 New York State Senate special election, District 61^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jeremy Zellner	19,341	59.7
	Republican	Dan Gagliardo	9,853
	Conservative	Dan Gagliardo	3,033
	Total	Dan Gagliardo	12,886	39.8
	Write-in		175	0.5
Total votes			32,402	100.0
	Democratic hold

2024 New York State Senate election, District 61^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sean Ryan	80,274
	Working Families	Sean Ryan	8,146
	Total	Sean Ryan (incumbent)	88,420	61.7
	Republican	Christine Czarnik	46,343
	Conservative	Christine Czarnik	8,323
	Total	Christine Czarnik	54,666	38.2
	Write-in		160	0.1
Total votes			143,246	100.0
	Democratic hold

2022 New York State Senate election, District 61^{[10][11][12][13]}

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sean Ryan	11,448	86.1
	Democratic	Benjamin Carlisle	1,798	13.5
	Write-in		51	0.4
Total votes			13,297	100.0
	Republican	Edward Rath III	3,712	78.0
	Republican	Joel Giambra	994	20.9
	Write-in		54	1.1
Total votes			4,760	100.0
	Conservative	Edward Rath III	203	83.9
	Conservative	Joel Giambra	37	15.3
	Write-in		2	0.8
Total votes			242	100.0
General election
	Democratic	Sean Ryan	57,616
	Working Families	Sean Ryan	6,285
	Total	Sean Ryan (incumbent)	63,901	56.6
	Republican	Edward Rath III	39,305
	Conservative	Edward Rath III	9,500
	Total	Edward Rath III (incumbent)	48,805	43.3
	Write-in		90	0.1
Total votes			112,796	100.0
	Democratic win (new boundaries)

2020 New York State Senate election, District 61^[14][15][16]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jacqualine Berger	9,386	38.6
	Democratic	Kim Smith	9,232	37.9
	Democratic	Joan Seamans	5,577	22.9
	Write-in		133	0.6
Total votes			24,328	100.0
	Independence	Edward Rath III	1,003	70.2
	Independence	Andrew Gruszka	397	27.8
	Write-in		28	2.0
Total votes			1,428	100.0
General election
	Republican	Edward Rath III	66,085
	Conservative	Edward Rath III	10,753
	Independence	Edward Rath III	2,492
	SAM	Edward Rath III	127
	Total	Edward Rath III	79,457	53.7
	Democratic	Jacqualine Berger	68,230	46.2
	Write-in		131	0.1
Total votes			147,818	100.0
	Republican hold

2018 New York State Senate election, District 61^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Michael Ranzenhofer	49,410
	Conservative	Michael Ranzenhofer	9,199
	Independence	Michael Ranzenhofer	1,746
	Reform	Michael Ranzenhofer	425
	Total	Michael Ranzenhofer (incumbent)	60,780	54.1
	Democratic	Joan Seamans	48,279
	Working Families	Joan Seamans	2,010
	Women's Equality	Joan Seamans	1,182
	Total	Joan Seamans	51,471	45.8
	Write-in		20	0.1
Total votes			112,271	100.0
	Republican hold

2016 New York State Senate election, District 61^[15]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Working Families	Thomas Loughran	46	80.0
	Working Families	Andre Liszka	13	20.0
	Write-in		0	0.0
Total votes			59	100.0
	Reform	Michael Ranzenhofer (incumbent)	14	100.0
	Write-in		0	0.0
Total votes			14	100.0
General election
	Republican	Michael Ranzenhofer	60,480
	Conservative	Michael Ranzenhofer	10,964
	Independence	Michael Ranzenhofer	3,338
	Reform	Michael Ranzenhofer	473
	Total	Michael Ranzenhofer (incumbent)	75,255	57.6
	Democratic	Thomas Loughran	49,316
	Working Families	Thomas Loughran	2,954
	Women's Equality	Thomas Loughran	1,093
	Total	Thomas Loughran	53,363	40.9
	Green	Ruben Cartagena Jr.	2,012	1.5
	Write-in		29	0.0
Total votes			130,630	100.0
	Republican hold

2014 New York State Senate election, District 61^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Michael Ranzenhofer	38,845
	Conservative	Michael Ranzenhofer	9,265
	Independence	Michael Ranzenhofer	2,974
	Stop Common Core	Michael Ranzenhofer	627
	Total	Michael Ranzenhofer (incumbent)	51,711	65.8
	Democratic	Elaine Altman	23,632
	Working Families	Elaine Altman	3,204
	Total	Elaine Altman	26,836	34.2
	Write-in		26	0.0
Total votes			78,573	100.0
	Republican hold

2012 New York State Senate election, District 61^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Michael Ranzenhofer	60,866
	Conservative	Michael Ranzenhofer	8,492
	Independence	Michael Ranzenhofer	3,745
	Total	Michael Ranzenhofer (incumbent)	73,103	59.0
	Democratic	Justin Rooney	46,990
	Working Families	Justin Rooney	3,899
	Total	Justin Rooney	50,889	41.0
	Write-in		31	0.0
Total votes			124,023	100.0
	Republican hold

Year	Office	Results[17][18]
2020	President	Biden 52.9 – 44.9%
2016	President	Trump 47.8 – 47.3%
2012	President	Obama 50.2 – 48.1%
	Senate	Gillibrand 60.5 – 38.0%