Democrat Chad Ryan has officially reclaimed his family’s longtime seat in the Onondaga County Legislature’s 8th District. He defeated Republican incumbent Shawn Fiato in a decisive victory.
With 96% of districts reporting, the race was called in favor of Ryan, who secured 75.5% of the vote, totalling 3,105 ballots. Fiato trailed with 24%, or 990 votes. A small number of write-in votes accounted for the remainder.
Ryan is a former Syracuse Common Councilor. This victory marks his return to public office after leaving the city government in 2019.
The 8th district seat has been a fixture in his family for decades. It was previously held by his father, Edward Ryan, and cousin, former legislator Chris Ryan, who left in January to serve in the New York State Senate.
The incumbent, Fiato, was appointed to this position by County Executive Ryan McMahon in early 2025, after Chris Ryan left a vacancy.
In her term, she emphasized improving neighborhood safety and housing affordability throughout her campaign.
Ryan plans to focus his term on fostering collaboration within the legislature and on taking a balanced, energetic approach to serving the district.
