Sean Ryan won the Buffalo mayoral election in a resounding victory Tuesday, taking more than 71% of the vote according to the Erie County Board of Elections.
Ryan, a Democrat, is Buffalo’s first newly elected mayor in more than 20 years.
Flanked on stage by supporters at Buffalo's Town Ballroom, Ryan's first speech as Buffalo’s mayor elect danced between a sober tone and a hopeful one as he detailed the challenges ahead of his future administration, including fixing "the basics" such as potholes, plowing streets, and opening city pools.
"For the last 11 months I bought this message to voters," Ryan said. "We can get the little things right and we can take on the big, tough issues like poverty, lead poisoning and the affordable housing crisis. These will be my priorities."
And he was upfront about the work it will take to stabilize the city’s finances.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat it. The road ahead is going to be challenging. The city's finances are a mess. Job one is figuring out how big our budget hole is. Job two is figuring out how to fix it, but I'm up for the task," he exclaimed.
Having served in the State Legislature for the past 14 years, Ryan is no stranger to campaigning. But speaking to reporters after he left the stage, he admitted the race for Buffalo mayor was his toughest yet - he won a bruising Democratic primary against four other candidates in June, including Buffalo Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon. But Ryan said he could always count on conversations with voters if he needed a boost.
"People were very polite when I was running for the Assembly and the Senate, but they didn't really want to have long chats about a state policy," he explained. "But you knock on somebody in the city of Buffalo's door and say, 'I'm running for mayor,' they're going to tell you their ideas, they're going to tell you what's wrong with their community and how to make it right."
Ryan's opponents, Republican James Gardner and independent candidate Michael Gainer, took 22.86% and 4.63% of the vote respectively.
Ryan has already assembled a transition team which is expected to be announced in the coming days. He will take office on Jan. 1, 2026.
