State Sen. Sean Ryan’s (D) campaign has registered a new fundraising committee linked to the state. The Sean Ryan Victory Fund was registered on July 22, raising questions about Ryan’s future.
Ryan did not specify the potential state positions he may have his eye on, telling WBFO: “I opened up a second committee because, you know, in government and politics, you have to be ready for things that could happen years in advance.”
“If you don't pre-plan, you can't catch up. So you have to stay current so if opportunities do become available in the future, that you're ready for it,” Ryan added.
The senator put the move, as also reported by Politico, down to the potential for movement in statewide offices after the upcoming elections this November.
“You never know when there's going to be changes in statewide offices. So if you want to be in those conversations, you have to be ready,” Ryan said.
Ryan’s name has been associated with a potential run for Buffalo mayor to replace Byron Brown, who is currently serving an unprecedented fifth term which ends Dec. 31, 2025.
But the new committee is only registered to raise funds for state offices, not local.
However, according to the New York State Board of elections, if a candidate running for state office decides to make a change and run for a county or local office instead, they could utilize "a type two transfer under Election Law to move the funds from the original authorized committee to the new authorized committee." Transfers are not contributions and are not subject to limits.
So theoretically, Ryan could raise funds for the undisclosed state office and transfer the funds to a new county registered committee in the future, if he so desires.
And Ryan remains noncommittal when asked to confirm or deny the rumors that he’ll run in the next mayoral election in November 2025.
“I'm very happy representing the folks from Western New York and the 61st Senate District,” Ryan told WBFO. “I like what I'm doing, we have a lot of work to get done, and I'm concentrating on representing the people of the 61st Senate District.”
Reports have suggested that Brown is seeking a position outside of political office as CEO at Western Regional Offtrack Betting Corporation. The public benefit corporation is set to review applicants for the post next week after rescheduling its special meeting for “a discussion and review for the position of President” for Sept. 5, according to a notice posted on the board’s website.
Mike DeGeorge, a spokesperson for Brown, hasn’t responded to a request for comment from WBFO.
Ryan was first elected to the New York State Senate in 2020 after previously serving in the New York State Assembly from 2011 to 2020. The 61st Senate District includes parts of the City of Buffalo, the City of Tonawanda, the Towns of Amherst, Grand Island, and Tonawanda, as well as the Villages of Kenmore and Williamsville.
