New York's 61st State Senate district

New York's 61st
State Senate district
Senator
  Jeremy Zellner
D–Tonawanda
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 represented by Jeremy Zellner since 2026, following then-incumbent Sean Ryan's resignation on December 31, 2025 to serve as Mayor of Buffalo. [3]

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 general

2026 New York State Senate election, District 61[6][7]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jonathan Rivera 10,222 54.8
Democratic Jeremy Zellner (incumbent) 8,412 45.1
Write-in 29 0.1
Total votes 18,663 100.0
General election
Democratic Jonathan Rivera
Working Families Jonathan Rivera
Total Jonathan Rivera
Republican Christopher McMaster
Conservative Christopher McMaster
Total Christopher McMaster
Write-in
Total votes

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.[8]

2026 New York State Senate special election, District 61[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jeremy Zellner 19,341 59.7
Republican Dan Gagliardo 9,853
Conservative Dan Gagliardo 3,033
Total Dan Gagliardo 12,886 39.8
Write-in 175 0.5
Total votes 32,402 100.0
Democratic hold

2024

2024 New York State Senate election, District 61[10]
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

2022 (redistricting)

2022 New York State Senate election, District 61[11][12][13][14]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sean Ryan 11,448 86.1
Democratic Benjamin Carlisle 1,798 13.5
Write-in 51 0.4
Total votes 13,297 100.0
Republican Edward Rath III 3,712 78.0
Republican Joel Giambra 994 20.9
Write-in 54 1.1
Total votes 4,760 100.0
Conservative Edward Rath III 203 83.9
Conservative Joel Giambra 37 15.3
Write-in 2 0.8
Total votes 242 100.0
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) 48,805 43.3
Write-in 90 0.1
Total votes 112,796 100.0
Democratic win (new boundaries)

2020

2020 New York State Senate election, District 61[15][16][17]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jacqualine Berger 9,386 38.6
Democratic Kim Smith 9,232 37.9
Democratic Joan Seamans 5,577 22.9
Write-in 133 0.6
Total votes 24,328 100.0
Independence Edward Rath III 1,003 70.2
Independence Andrew Gruszka 397 27.8
Write-in 28 2.0
Total votes 1,428 100.0
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 Berger 68,230 46.2
Write-in 131 0.1
Total votes 147,818 100.0
Republican hold

2018

2018 New York State Senate election, District 61[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
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 Seamans 48,279
Working Families Joan Seamans 2,010
Women's Equality Joan Seamans 1,182
Total Joan Seamans 51,471 45.8
Write-in 20 0.1
Total votes 112,271 100.0
Republican hold

2016

2016 New York State Senate election, District 61[16]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Working Families Thomas Loughran 46 80.0
Working Families Andre Liszka 13 20.0
Write-in 0 0.0
Total votes 59 100.0
Reform Michael Ranzenhofer (incumbent) 14 100.0
Write-in 0 0.0
Total votes 14 100.0
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 Loughran 49,316
Working Families Thomas Loughran 2,954
Women's Equality Thomas Loughran 1,093
Total Thomas Loughran 53,363 40.9
Green Ruben Cartagena Jr. 2,012 1.5
Write-in 29 0.0
Total votes 130,630 100.0
Republican hold

2014

2014 New York State Senate election, District 61[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
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 Altman 23,632
Working Families Elaine Altman 3,204
Total Elaine Altman 26,836 34.2
Write-in 26 0.0
Total votes 78,573 100.0
Republican hold

2012

2012 New York State Senate election, District 61[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
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 Rooney 46,990
Working Families Justin Rooney 3,899
Total Justin Rooney 50,889 41.0
Write-in 31 0.0
Total votes 124,023 100.0
Republican hold

Federal results in District 61

Year Office Results[18][19]
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. ↑ "04.10.26 Petitions" (PDF). Erie County Board of Elections. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Primary Election 2026 - Democratic State Senator - 61st Senatorial District" (PDF). Erie County Board of Elections. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ "2026 Special Canvass" (PDF). Erie County Board of Elections. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  10. ↑ "2024 Election Results". New York State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  11. ↑ "2022 Election Results". New York State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  12. ↑ "2022 Democratic Primary Results" (PDF). Erie County Board of Elections. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  13. ↑ "2022 Republican Primary Results" (PDF). Erie County Board of Elections. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  14. ↑ "2022 Conservative Primary Results" (PDF). Erie County Board of Elections. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  15. ↑ "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.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "New York State Senate District 61". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  17. ↑ "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.
  18. ↑ "Daily Kos Elections Statewide Results by LD". Daily Kos. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  19. ↑ "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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