VoterLens
New York State Assembly District 143
SUNY Fredonia—BA; University at Buffalo—EdM; University at Buffalo—PhD anticipated 2027
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Ryan Taughrin is a husband, father, educator, union member, and first-generation college graduate who was born in Buffalo and raised in Cheektowaga. He has spent more than 15 years at the University at Buffalo, where he serves as Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management at the Graduate School of Education. He also reports community involvement including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie County, PTO volunteering, youth programs, and service as a trustee on the Lancaster Library Board.
Committee Assignments: No committee assignments available.
Ryan Taughrin, the Democratic/Working Families candidate for New York State Assembly District 143, frames healthcare as a human right and supports universal/single-payer health care for New Yorkers. He specifically supports the New York Health Act, lowering prescription drug costs, and making coverage follow the person rather than the employer, including for immigrants.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Taughrin named passing universal health care as one of his top priorities if elected to the New York State Assembly from District 143.
SourceTaughrin says he supports the New York Health Act so coverage follows the person instead of the employer and reaches everyone regardless of immigration status.
SourceTaughrin’s campaign platform states that healthcare is a human right and that he supports single-payer healthcare for all New Yorkers.
SourceTaughrin’s campaign platform says he will work to lower prescription drug costs so families do not have to choose between medicine and groceries.
SourceBoosting Future Leaders Onward describes Taughrin as running for NYS Assembly District 143 on a platform that includes universal health care.
SourceRyan Taughrin frames Economy & Jobs around affordability for working families, pro-labor protections, lower household costs, and public investment that creates union jobs. His stated positions include expanding affordable child care, supporting fair wages and collective bargaining, lowering utility costs through public power and solar, and tying grid/infrastructure buildout to prevailing wage and apprenticeships.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Taughrin says he would fight to expand child care subsidies and tax credits so working parents can pursue careers, while supporting living wages for early childhood educators.
SourceTaughrin says electrical grid buildout should be union work with prevailing wage, project labor agreements, and apprenticeships attached, and that AI data centers should pay their own way rather than shifting costs to ratepayers.
SourceA candidate profile for Ryan Taughrin in NYS Assembly District 143 says he is running on standing up for union values and workers' rights as part of delivering results for families in Cheektowaga, Lancaster, Depew, Sloan, and Buffalo.
SourceThe New York State AFL-CIO endorsed Taughrin for Assembly District 143 and states its endorsed candidates are committed to advocating for working people in New York State government.
SourceRyan Taughrin, Democratic/Working Families candidate for New York State Assembly District 143, presents a pro-immigrant position: he says newcomers strengthen Cheektowaga, Lancaster, and Buffalo, opposes ICE raids, supports welcoming refugees and immigrants, and backs health coverage regardless of immigration status.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Taughrin says he stands against ICE raids that terrorize families and will champion policies that welcome newcomers, including refugees and immigrants in Western New York communities.
SourceIn the VOTE411 guide for New York Assembly District 143, Taughrin says he supports the New York Health Act so coverage follows the person and reaches everyone regardless of immigration status.
SourceRyan Taughrin supports a clean-energy transition for New York that emphasizes affordability, grid reliability, public power, transmission upgrades, hydropower, wind, solar, storage, weatherization, and union labor. He also supports policies to limit AI data-center energy and water burdens on ratepayers and communities.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Taughrin says he champions public power to lower energy costs, keep dollars in the community, and transition to clean, affordable energy for working families.
SourceTaughrin says he would cut home energy costs by supporting the NY HEAT Act and scaling up weatherization programs so working families and seniors can use them without large upfront costs.
SourceTaughrin supports the SUNNY Act to allow lower-cost residential solar options, including plug-in solar for renters to reduce their utility bills.
SourceTaughrin says New York should pursue the CLCPA's clean-energy goals using science, engineering, reliability, and cost evidence, prioritizing hydropower, wind, solar, battery storage, energy efficiency, and transmission upgrades.
SourceTaughrin supports the AI data center moratorium and says AI data centers should pay for the power, water, infrastructure, and grid upgrades they require rather than shifting costs to families.
SourceRyan Taughrin supports strengthening public education through full Foundation Aid funding, smaller class sizes, school-based mental health supports, and higher teacher pay. He opposes voucher schemes that would divert public dollars away from public schools.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Taughrin states that he will fight for full Foundation Aid for schools across Assembly District 143.
SourceTaughrin is listed by NYSUT's VOTE-COPE voter guide as opposing a federal voucher scheme for New York.
SourceRyan Taughrin frames public safety around regulating law-enforcement surveillance tools rather than eliminating them, emphasizing that automatic license plate readers may have investigative benefits but need strict privacy, warrant, retention, reporting, audit, and misuse-penalty safeguards. He specifically says he would co-sponsor New York's Hinchey-Hunter ALPR bill and strengthen it with additional oversight.
Specific Actions & Proposals
In the VOTE411 guide for New York Assembly District 143, Taughrin listed passing legislation to regulate automatic license plate readers such as Flock as one of his top priorities if elected.
SourceAfter reports of alleged misuse of Flock cameras by Cheektowaga police personnel, Taughrin said public hearings alone did not go far enough and argued for stronger safeguards balancing investigative benefits with privacy protections.
SourceBFLO's candidate profile for Taughrin says he is running for NYS Assembly District 143 on a platform that includes fighting back against Flock surveillance and big-tech corporate interests while delivering transparency for local families.
SourceVOTE411 Voter Guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189657Fetched: biography, education
New York State Assembly
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/Patrick-J-ChludzinskiFetched: current officeholder check
Politics and Other Stuff
https://politicsandstuff.com/2026/07/17/just-the-facts-mid-year-campaign-financials/Fetched: campaignFinance
Blue Voter Guide District 143
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Assembly_District_143/51993/830Fetched: endorsements
New York State United Teachers
https://www.nysut.org/resources/special-resources-sites/voter-guide/endorsementsFetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://www.nylcv.org/press-item/during-nyc-climate-week-nylcv-gives-green-announces-final-round-of-2026-endorsements/Fetched: endorsements
Ryan Taughrin for NYS Assembly - Platform
https://www.ryantaughrin.com/platformFetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 Voter Guide - New York Assembly District 143
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189657Fetched: issuePositions
Boosting Future Leaders Onward - Our Future Leaders
https://www.boostingleaders.com/ourfutureleadersFetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 - New York Assembly District 143 Candidate Guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189657Fetched: issuePositions
BFLO Boosting Future Leaders Onward - Ryan Taughrin profile
https://www.boostingleaders.com/ourfutureleadersFetched: issuePositions
Ryan Taughrin for NYS Assembly campaign platform
https://www.ryantaughrin.com/platformFetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 Voter Guide: New York Assembly District 143
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189657Fetched: issuePositions
Scientist Network for Advancing Policy Candidate Responses: Ryan Taughrin
https://snapcoalition.org/initiatives/stance-on-science/candidates/ny/ryan-taughrinFetched: issuePositions
Scientist Network for Advancing Policy
https://snapcoalition.org/initiatives/stance-on-science/candidates/ny/ryan-taughrinFetched: issuePositions
WKBW 7 News Buffalo
https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/flock-cameras-face-calls-for-new-rules-after-cheektowaga-police-investigationFetched: issuePositions