Buffalo City Republican Chairman Blasts Sean Ryan’s Misleading “MAGA” Label at St. Joe’s Debate

Buffalo, NY — Buffalo City Republican Chairman Chris Porter is calling out State Senator Sean Ryan for his “lazy and misleading” attempt to brand mayoral candidate James Gardner as a “MAGA Republican” during the recent St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute debate.

Porter described the comment as “false, intellectually lazy, and irresponsible,” emphasizing that Gardner is a registered member of the New York Conservative Party—not the Republican Party. “Sean Ryan knows better,” Porter said. “After 14 years in Albany representing the City of Buffalo, he’s had every opportunity to fix the problems he now complains about in Buffalo. Instead, he’s resorting to name-calling to distract voters from his record.”

Porter also criticized Ryan’s deficit financing City budget proposal, calling it “a gimmick that even his own party rejected,” and likened it (as former Buffalo Mayoral candidate Chris Scanlon said) to “taking out a new credit card to pay off old debt.”

Porter also called out Ryan's misleading and inaccurate attempt to link Gardner to Trump's Canada trade policies and pointed out that not only has James Gardner NEVER endorsed Trump's Canada policy but that the City of Buffalo Republican Committee has had a longstanding post on its website since May 1, 2025 condemning Trump's 51st State Canada comments and Canada Trade Policy.

“Buffalo deserves leaders who will be honest about our challenges and serious about fixing them or, to quote Mr. Ryan, Buffalo Deserves Better,” Porter said. “James Gardner is independent, fiscally responsible, and is not beholden to party bosses or special interests. He represents the kind of leadership this city needs to move forward.”