The phrase “new year, new me” often takes hold around this time of year, but it's “new year, new mayor” for the City of Buffalo as Sean Ryan is set to be sworn into office on New Year’s Day.
Ryan’s inauguration ceremony will take place at Kleinhans Music Hall Thursday, marking the first time Buffalo has elected a new mayor in 20 years.
The state Senator's road to Buffalo's top job started with a rumor back in the summer of 2024.
Byron Brown was still mayor, but it was said Ryan was supposedly eyeing his spot.
That speculation only intensified when Ryan dodged questions on the issue. When asked to directly confirm or deny the rumors by BTPM NPR in August 2024, he glibly stated he was "happy representing the folks from the 61st Senate District."
But once Brown stepped down in October that year for another job, it became clear the race to elect a new mayor was on and Ryan finally made it official by announcing his bid that November.
From the start, his campaign focused on what he called “the basics:” housing, city services, the city’s finances and of course, potholes.
Along with Acting Mayor Christopher Scanlon, Ryan emerged as a front-runner in the five-way Democratic primary election as money poured in to both candidates’ campaigns. After a bruising battle, Ryan won by more than 3,000 votes.
"Holy cow! This is incredible!" he enthused to a cheering crowd at Buffalo's Babeville as he declared victory on election night.
A comparatively tempered general election campaign followed, which Ryan took with more than 71% of the vote. In his victory speech, he acknowledged the tough road ahead.
"The city's finances are a mess," Ryan said. "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."
Ryan will have four years to make good on his word, starting Jan. 1, 2026.
