Special election for 61st District set for Feb. 3

Republican Dan Gagliardo, Democrats Jon Rivera, Jeremy Zellner vying for spot previously held by Ryan

Press Releases

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced a special election to fill the vacancies in the 47th and 61st Senate districts, and the 36th Assembly District, will be held Tuesday, Feb. 3. The vacancies were created by the resignations of former State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, former State Sen. Sean Ryan – now City of Buffalo mayor – and former Assembly member Zohran Mamdani, respectively. Hochul issued the proclamation Jan. 2 pursuant to the public officers law.

Locally, the race for the 61st District has three announced candidates: Republican Dan Gagliardo and Democrats Jon Rivera and Jeremy Zellner.

Dan Gagliardo

Dan Gagliardo, a longtime Western New York small business owner and job creator, is running for New York State Senate in the 61st District special election. The district includes Amherst, Tonawanda, the City of Tonawanda, Grand Island, and parts of Buffalo.

Gagliardo made the announcement at D’Avolio’s Kitchen, a business he built from the ground up – and one of several ventures that have created hundreds of jobs across Western New York.

“For years, I’ve watched Albany make it harder for families and small businesses to get ahead,” Gagliardo said. “High taxes, outrageous utility bills, and endless regulations are crushing the people who do everything right. I’m running for State Senate to bring some common sense back to government and fight for a better future for Western New York.”

A lifelong entrepreneur, Gagliardo worked his way up by meeting payroll, managing costs, and keeping doors open in an increasingly hostile business climate. He has seen firsthand how state policies have driven up costs and pushed opportunity out of reach for working families.

“Government should help job creators succeed, not stand in their way,” Gagliardo said. “We need leaders in Albany who understand the real world, not career politicians who have never signed the front of a paycheck.”

Gagliardo emphasized that his campaign will focus on lowering taxes and utility costs, improving the business climate to create jobs, supporting law enforcement to keep communities safe, and restoring accountability and common sense in state government.

A husband, father of four daughters, and grandfather of six, Gagliardo said his family is a constant reminder of what is at stake.

“I want my kids and grandkids to be able to build their lives right here in Western New York,” he said. “That means an economy that works, safer neighborhoods, and a state government that puts people first and politics last.”

For more information, visit GagliardoForSenate.com.

Jon Rivera

New York State Assembly member Jon D. Rivera was the first to announce his candidacy for the New York State Senate’s 61st District, doing so in a campaign video. Rivera spoke directly to voters about the stakes of this election, and his vision for a stronger, more equitable Western New York.

A public servant and lifelong Western New Yorker, Rivera enters the race with a message focused on urgency, service and accountability. He frames the 2025 election as a turning point: a chance to defend democracy, reject extremism, and fight for the hardworking people who make the region thrive.

“Our community needs a fighter,” Rivera said in the video. “Someone who will stand up to MAGA extremism and deliver real results for the families of Buffalo, Amherst, Tonawanda, Grand Island, and everywhere in between.”

 Rivera’s campaign puts working families front and center, including the teachers, tradespeople, health care workers, public employees, and small business workers who keep Western New York strong. This race is about ensuring their voices are heard in Albany, and their needs are met with real solutions, not political games.

“The men and women who build this region, care for our kids and elders, and keep our communities moving deserve leadership that has their back,” Rivera said. “This campaign is about them, and about making sure government works for those who work hard every day to build a better life.”

The son of a police officer and a teacher’s aide, Rivera brings a deep respect for public service and a results-driven record from his time in the New York State Assembly. Since first being elected in 2020, he has secured major investments in housing, education, youth programs, and community infrastructure while delivering outcomes that families can see and feel in their neighborhoods.

“Over the past five years, I’ve fought for the 149th Assembly District, from strengthening housing protections on Buffalo’s West Side to investing in Hamburg and Lackawanna,” Rivera said. “Now I’m ready to bring that same determination and experience to the State Senate, and I intend to continue to deliver for every corner of the 61st District.”

As chair of the subcommittee on regional tourism development, Rivera has worked to hold state agencies accountable, grow local economies, and make Western New York a destination for investment and opportunity. He has championed legislation to protect tenants and homeowners, reduce lead exposure in aging housing stock, support refugee resettlement, and revitalize parks and recreation spaces across the region. Rivera also helped deliver a state budget for 2025 that included nearly $106 million in aid for public libraries and also extended tax credits for business development at previously contaminated sites like Lackawanna’s Renaissance Commerce Park.

Most recently, Rivera secured $1.4 million for the Village of Hamburg Youth Center and millions more for community centers, pools, housing rehabilitation, and cultural institutions, bringing long-overdue resources to neighborhoods too often left behind.

Jeremy Zellner

Jeremy Zellner officially launched his campaign for the 61st state Senate District seat, vowing to make working families and affordability his top priorities in Albany.

Zellner, a lifelong resident of Erie County, was born and raised in the City of Tonawanda. The son and grandson of autoworkers, he grew up in a single-parent household where union jobs and benefits made it possible for his family to have health care and everyday essentials.

“Without those benefits, we simply couldn’t have made ends meet, and today far too many families are facing that same financial crunch, because life is getting more and more expensive,” Zellner said. “As state senator, I’ll fight to bring the cost of living down, protect access to health care, and stand up to those who try to undermine organized labor.”

Zellner, 47, has spent more than two decades serving the Democratic Party in Erie County, including as chair since 2012. During his tenure, the party has built a strong, united and inclusive organization while delivering consistent electoral victories across the region.

Under Zellner’s leadership, Democrats reelected County Executive Mark Poloncarz to a historic fourth term, elected Tim Kennedy to Congress and April Baskin to the State Senate, maintained a Democratic majority in the Erie County Legislature, and won competitive races in communities where Democrats had previously struggled. Zellner also pointed to legislative accomplishments secured by Democratic leadership, including actions to curb gun violence, expand affordable housing, and protect reproductive freedom.

Zellner said his campaign will also focus on pushing back against the Trump-MAGA agenda that cuts taxes to billionaires, strips millions of Americans of their health care, and threatens the foundation of our democracy.

He and his wife, Carrie, live in the City of Tonawanda with their two children.

Zellner resigned as Erie County Board of Elections commissioner on Friday, Jan. 2, following Hochul’s call for a special election to fill the vacancy created by Sean Ryan’s election as Buffalo mayor.

For more information about the campaign, including the launch video, visit www.zellnerforsenate.com.