Decision Maker

Byron Brown

Former Buffalo City Mayor

New York

Byron William Brown II, born in 1958, is a notable American politician affiliated with the Democratic Party. He served as the 62nd mayor of Buffalo, New York, from 2006 until his resignation in 2024, making history as the city's first African-American mayor and its longest-serving mayor. Prior to his mayoral tenure, Brown was a member of the New York State Senate, where he was the first African-American elected to represent a district outside New York City and the first minority member to serve in a majority-white district. He also served on the Buffalo Common Council. In September 2024, he announced his resignation, which took effect on October 15, with Christopher Scanlon stepping in as acting mayor until the 2025 election.