WILLIAMSVILLE — Dan Gagliardo, a longtime Western New York small business owner and job creator, has announced that he is running for the state Senate in the 61st District special election.
The 61st District seat will become vacant on Jan. 1 when Sean Ryan becomes Buffalo’s mayor.
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. The district includes Amherst, Tonawanda, the City of Tonawanda, Grand Island and parts of Buffalo.
“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. 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. That means an economy that works, safer neighborhoods, and a state government that puts people first and politics last.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul can call for the special election as early as next month to decide who will fill the seat for the remainder of 2026. The special election will be followed by a primary and general election for who will get a full term beginning in 2027.
Two Democrats – Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner and Assembly Member Jon Rivera – have both said that they plan to run for the seat, according to WIVB, Channel 4 News.
The special election for New York’s 61st State Senate District will be held in the coming months.