November 13, 2026

Congratulations, Ryan Taughrin!

A Buffalo Center member from Cheektowaga, Taughrin won his bid for the 143rd Assembly District seat in a race that was too close to call until Nov. 10, when his opponent, Republican Patrick Chludzinski, conceded.

In an interview this week with UUP, Taughrin said that union power helped put him over the top. Taughrin (pronounced Tog-rin), is an assistant dean for enrollment management and director of admissions in the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo. He’s been a member of UUP for nearly 15 years.

“I would not have won without the support of unions,” Taughrin said. “It wasn’t just the endorsements, it was knowing union members were knocking on doors. Their support was critical.”

“As a UUP member, Ryan is one of our own and we were proud to knock on doors for him and support his run for the 143rd District seat,” said UUP President Fred Kowal. “It is very good for UUP and our members to have someone like Ryan in the Assembly because he’s a union man and a UUP member who understands our issues and the importance of public higher education. We look forward to working with him.”

Taughrin won the election by 570 votes, according to Buffalo TV station WGRZ. He was endorsed by NYSUT and the New York State AFL-CIO, both UUP affiliates. UUP does not officially endorse candidates but is part of NYSUT’s and the NYS AFL-CIO’s endorsement process.

Taughrin, 39, graduated from SUNY Fredonia, where he met his wife, now a teacher in the Buffalo school district. The couple has two children, one in fourth grade and the other in eighth grade. Taughrin has a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs administration from UB and is working toward a doctorate degree. He plans to resign from his job at UB as he prepares to take up his Assembly position.

Taughrin said he has long been engaged in his community as a volunteer, and he ran a nonprofit matching young professionals with volunteer opportunities. He campaigned on behalf of Monica Wallace, a former UUP member who represented the 143rd. When Wallace lost in 2024, Taughrin knew it was his time to step up.

“I knew the issues because I experienced them myself - the difficulty people have finding child care, the concerns we all have about the impact of the Big Beautiful Bill Act on health care costs,” Taughrin said. “I didn’t think the Republican in office was going to address those issues.”

Read more about Taughrin’s victory HERE.