New York's 61st State Senate district

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 January 1, 2026 to serve as Mayor of Buffalo, and pending a special election to be held on February 3, 2026.

Geography

District 61 stretches from Buffalo's inner suburbs to the southwestern corner of Rochester, including parts of Erie and Monroe Counties and all of Genesee County.
The district overlaps with New York's 24th, 25th, and 26th congressional districts, and with the 137th, 138th, 139th, 144th, and 146th districts of the New York State Assembly.

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 usually not held - county committee members for each party select nominees.