# Sean Ryan (American politician)

Sean M. Ryan (born March 4, 1965) is an American attorney and politician serving as a member of the New York State Senate from the 61st District. A Democrat, he previously served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 2011 to 2021, and the 60th District from 2021 to 2022.
He is currently running to become Mayor of Buffalo, which will be decided by the 2025 Buffalo mayoral election.

## Education

Ryan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia and a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School. He was then admitted the New York State Bar Association.

## Career

As an attorney, Ryan has specialized in anti-discrimination and labor law cases. On September 13, 2011, Ryan was elected during a special election to the New York State Assembly, succeeding longtime assemblyman Sam Hoyt.
In 2012, he was elected to the 149th district. He was supported by the 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.
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.
Ryan has announced his candidacy for the 2025 Buffalo mayoral election, where he will challenge acting mayor Christopher Scanlon for the position. On February 22, 2025, the Erie County Democratic Committee endorsed Ryan in the Democratic primary.

## Electoral history

2024 New York State Senate election, District 61 :
| Party | 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 | Write-in | 160 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 143,246 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2022 New York's 61st State Senate district election :
| Party | 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 | Write-in | 90 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 112,796 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic win (new boundaries) | Democratic win (new boundaries) | Democratic win (new boundaries) | Democratic win (new boundaries) |
2020 New York's 60th State Senate district election :
| Party | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 149,853 | 95.77 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 6,625 | 4.23 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 156,478 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |
New York State Assembly 149th district election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sean Ryan (incumbent) | 31,233 | 72.1 |
| | Republican | Joseph Totaro | 12,062 | 27.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 43,295 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |