Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - After two days filled with pomp and circumstance, Sean Ryan has been officially sworn in as Buffalo's 64th mayor.
Actually, Ryan was sworn in twice in a matter of two hours.
Just before noon - and in the quiet of the Kleinhans Music Hall balcony - and before his immediate family and members of the media, Ryan took his official and legal oath of office from Buffalo City Clerk Tianna Marks.
Two hours later, as the centerpiece moment of a 95-minute inauguration ceremony, Ryan took a second, ceremonial oath of office administered by a longtime friend, Anthony Brindisi, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of New York. Brindisi and Ryan served in the State Assembly together.
The Kleinhans ceremony took place after Ryan hosted an inauguration gala on New Year's Eve night at the Hotel @ Lafayette, where more than 500 people attended the black tie affair.
With an estimated 1,500 people at the Kleinhans' ceremony means more than 2,000 people attended one, or both, of the Ryan inauguration events and that set a new benchmark for events honoring a new Buffalo mayor.
"This is a moment of choice for our city," Ryan said in his inauguration address.
The Kleinhans ceremony touched on many basis from:
- The Gabriel A. Rodrigues American Legion Post 1928 handling the presentation of colors.
- Blessings from members of the Seneca Nation of Indians, the Jewish and Islamic communities.
- Performances from the Buffalo String Works and Love Supreme School of Music.
- A dramatic, poetic reading from Attina Fareed-Cooke, Buffalo Poet Laureate.
The packed crowd, on several occasions, gave Ryan a long and heartfelt standing ovation.
"This is a new chapter in the Buffalo story," Ryan said.
Ryan is the first mayor elected in Buffalo in 20 years. Former Mayor Byron Brown stepped down in October 2024 after accepting a position with Western Regional Off-Track Betting.
Chris Scanlon, the former Common Council president, served as interim mayor for 14 months following Brown’s departure.
Ryan formally resigned from the New York State Senate, submitting a letter to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. His resignation took effect at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31, ending his tenure as a state senator.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to call a special election for Ryan’s vacant Senate seat within 10 days. The election must be held 40 to 50 days after it is called.