Sean Ryan (American politician)
American politician (born 1965)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sean M. Ryan (born March 4, 1965) is an American attorney and politician who is currently serving as the mayor of Buffalo. He previously served in New York State Senate representing the 61st district and 60th district from 2021 to 2025, and in the New York State Assembly from 2011 to 2020 in both the 144th district and the 149th district.
61st district (2023–2025)
Sean Ryan | |
|---|---|
| |
| 64th Mayor of Buffalo | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Christopher Scanlon (acting) |
| Member of the New York State Senate | |
| In office January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Giglio |
| Succeeded by | Jeremy Zellner |
| Constituency | 60th district (2021–2023) 61st district (2023–2025) |
| Member of the New York State Assembly | |
| In office September 24, 2011[a] – December 31, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Sam Hoyt |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Rivera |
| Constituency | 144th district (2011–2013) 149th district (2013–2020) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 4, 1965 Lackawanna, New York, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Catherine Creighton |
| Education | State University of New York, Fredonia (BA) Brooklyn Law School (JD) |
| Website | Campaign website State Senate website |
Early life and education
Sean Ryan was born to James W. Ryan, a firefighter, and Patricia Ryan (née McQuillen), an educator and member of the Erie County Democratic Committee.[1][2]
Ryan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia and a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School.[3] He was then admitted the New York State Bar Association.[citation needed]
Career
As an attorney, Ryan specialized in anti-discrimination and labor law cases.[4]
On September 13, 2011, Ryan was elected during a special election to the New York State Assembly, succeeding longtime assemblyman Sam Hoyt.[5] His mother Patricia and sister Kerry were both members of the Erie County Democratic Committee, and were credited with running his campaign and assisting his victory.[2][6]
In 2012, he was elected to the 149th district. He was supported by the 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.[7]
In 2020, he was elected to New York's 60th senate district. Due to redistricting following the 2020 U.S. census, Ryan successfully ran in the newly-drawn 61st senate district in the 2022 election. As a member of the State Senate, Ryan championed legislation to prohibit non-compete clauses in New York, which passed both houses of the state legislature in 2023.[8]
Mayor of Buffalo
On November 23, 2024, Ryan announced his candidacy for the 2025 Buffalo mayoral election, where he challenged incumbent mayor Christopher Scanlon for the position.[9] On February 22, 2025, the Erie County Democratic Committee endorsed Ryan in the Democratic primary,[10] which he won on June 24, 2025.[11] On November 4, 2025, Ryan would be elected mayor of Buffalo after defeating two other candidates, Republican James Gardner and independent Michael Gainer.[12]
Personal life
Ryan is married to Catherine Creighton, an attorney who has served as director of the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority since her appointment by governor Andrew Cuomo in 2012.[13][14] Creighton has also been director of Cornell University's ILR Buffalo Co-Lab since 2020.[14]
They have two daughters.[15]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sean Ryan | 30,497 | 72.4 | |
| Republican | James Gardner | 9,654 | 22.9 | |
| Independent | Michael Gainer | 1,966 | 4.7 | |
| Total votes | 42,117 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sean Ryan | 79,396 | 52.98 | |
| Working Families | Sean Ryan | 9,182 | 6.13 | |
| Independence | Sean Ryan | 2,452 | 1.64 | |
| Total | Sean Ryan | 91,030 | 60.75 | |
| Republican | Joshua Mertzlufft | 49,649 | 33.13 | |
| Conservative | Joshua Mertzlufft | 9,174 | 6.12 | |
| Total | Joshua Mertzlufft | 58,823 | 39.25 | |
| Total valid votes | 149,853 | 95.77 | ||
| Rejected ballots | 6,625 | 4.23 | ||
| Total votes | 156,478 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sean Ryan (incumbent) | 31,233 | 72.1 | |
| Republican | Joseph Totaro | 12,062 | 27.9 | |
| Total votes | 43,295 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Notes
- Ryan won a special election on September 13, 2011, and was sworn in to office on September 24.
