New York's 61st State Senate district

Last updated

New York's 61st
State Senate district
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New York State Senate District 61 (2023).svg
Senator
 Vacant
Registration37.8%  Democratic
33.6%  Republican
21.0%  No party preference
Demographics78%  White
11%  Black
4%  Hispanic
5%  Asian
Population (2017)293,439 [1]
Registered voters200,693 [2]

New York's 61st State Senate district is one of 63 districts in the New York State Senate. The seat has been vacant following then-incumbent Sean Ryan's resignation on December 31, 2025 to serve as Mayor of Buffalo. Jeremy Zellner won a special election for the seat held on February 3, 2026. [3]

Contents

Geography

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]

Recent election results

2026 special

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.

2026 New York State Senate special election, District 61 [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jeremy Zellner
Republican Dan Gagliardo
Conservative Dan Gagliardo
TotalDan Gagliardo
Write-in
Total votes

2024

2024 New York State Senate election, District 61 [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Sean Ryan 80,274
Working Families Sean Ryan 8,146
Total Sean Ryan (incumbent) 88,420 61.7
Republican Christine Czarnik46,343
Conservative Christine Czarnik8,323
TotalChristine Czarnik54,66638.2
Write-in 1600.1
Total votes143,246 100.0
Democratic hold

2022 (redistricting)

2022 New York State Senate election, District 61 [8] [9] [10] [11]
Primary election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Sean Ryan 11,448 86.1
Democratic Benjamin Carlisle1,79813.5
Write-in 510.4
Total votes13,297 100.0
Republican Edward Rath III 3,712 78.0
Republican Joel Giambra99420.9
Write-in 541.1
Total votes4,760 100.0
Conservative Edward Rath III 203 83.9
Conservative Joel Giambra3715.3
Write-in 20.8
Total votes242 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)48,80543.3
Write-in 900.1
Total votes112,796 100.0
Democratic win (new boundaries)

2020

2020 New York State Senate election, District 61 [12] [13] [14]
Primary election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jacqualine Berger 9,386 38.6
Democratic Kim Smith9,23237.9
Democratic Joan Seamans5,57722.9
Write-in 1330.6
Total votes24,328 100.0
Independence Edward Rath III 1,003 70.2
Independence Andrew Gruszka39727.8
Write-in 282.0
Total votes1,428 100.0
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 Berger68,23046.2
Write-in 1310.1
Total votes147,818 100.0
Republican hold

2018

2018 New York State Senate election, District 61 [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%
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 Seamans48,279
Working Families Joan Seamans2,010
Women's Equality Joan Seamans1,182
TotalJoan Seamans51,47145.8
Write-in 200.1
Total votes112,271 100.0
Republican hold

2016

2016 New York State Senate election, District 61 [13]
Primary election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Working Families Thomas Loughran 46 80.0
Working Families Andre Liszka1320.0
Write-in 00.0
Total votes59 100.0
Reform Michael Ranzenhofer (incumbent) 14 100.0
Write-in 00.0
Total votes14 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 Loughran49,316
Working Families Thomas Loughran2,954
Women's Equality Thomas Loughran1,093
TotalThomas Loughran53,36340.9
Green Ruben Cartagena Jr.2,0121.5
Write-in 290.0
Total votes130,630 100.0
Republican hold

2014

2014 New York State Senate election, District 61 [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%
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 Altman23,632
Working Families Elaine Altman3,204
TotalElaine Altman26,83634.2
Write-in 260.0
Total votes78,573 100.0
Republican hold

2012

2012 New York State Senate election, District 61 [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%
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 Rooney46,990
Working Families Justin Rooney3,899
TotalJustin Rooney50,88941.0
Write-in 310.0
Total votes124,023 100.0
Republican hold

Federal results in District 61

YearOfficeResults [15] [16]
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%

References

  1. ↑ "State Senate District 61, NY". Census Reporter. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Enrollment by Senate District". New York State Board of Elections. February 2019.
  3. ↑ "New York State Senator Sean Ryan". The New York State Senate. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  4. ↑ "2025 Apportionment and Enrollment" (PDF). The Erie County Board of Elections. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  5. ↑ David Jarman. "How do counties, House districts, and legislative districts all overlap?". Daily Kos. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  6. ↑ Nate Benson (January 8, 2026). "Erie Co. Democrats select Chairman Jeremy Zellner to run in 61st Senate special election". wgrz.com. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  7. ↑ "2024 Election Results". New York State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  8. ↑ "2022 Election Results". New York State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  9. ↑ "2022 Democratic Primary Results" (PDF). Erie County Board of Elections. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  10. ↑ "2022 Republican Primary Results" (PDF). Erie County Board of Elections. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  11. ↑ "2022 Conservative Primary Results" (PDF). Erie County Board of Elections. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Certified Results from the June 23, 2020 Primary Election" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections . August 6, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "New York State Senate District 61". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  14. ↑ "State Senator 61st Senate District - General Election - November 3, 2020". New York State Board of Elections. December 3, 2020. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Daily Kos Elections Statewide Results by LD". Daily Kos. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  16. ↑ "2020 Presidential by Legislative District & Most Recent Election Result". CNalysis. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
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