Bryan J. Bollman
Bryan J. Bollman is an American politician who has served as the member of the Buffalo Common Council from the Lovejoy District since 2020. Before being elected to office, he served as chief of staff to longtime Lovejoy District council member Richard A. Fontana. In 2024, he was elected president pro tempore of the Common Council.
Early life and education
Bollman was born and raised in Buffalo's Lovejoy District and graduated from the University at Buffalo with a bachelor's degree in political science.
Career
Before his election to the Common Council, Bollman spent 11 years working in City Hall on East Side neighborhood issues, including as chief of staff to Richard Fontana. He is a New York state licensed broker associate.
Political career
In June 2019, Bollman won the Democratic primary for the open Lovejoy District seat with 63 percent of the vote, defeating Esther Smothers. The seat had been vacated by Fontana, who chose not to seek re-election. In the November 2019 general election, Bollman defeated minor-party candidate Antoinette Craig by a margin of 82 percent to 17 percent. He was sworn into office on New Year's Day 2020.
Bollman won re-election in 2023. In the June Democratic primary, he defeated independent challenger Mohammed Uddin with nearly 70 percent of the vote. In the November general election, he defeated Republican David McElroy with 72.81 percent of the vote.
At the Buffalo Common Council's January 2024 reorganization meeting, Bollman was elected president pro tempore. After Mayor Byron Brown announced his resignation later that year and Council President Christopher Scanlon prepared to become acting mayor, Buffalo Toronto Public Media reported that Bollman, as president pro tempore, would take over the duties of council president.
Personal life
Bollman was born and raised in Buffalo's Lovejoy District. A 2008 Buffalo Common Council resolution described him as a resident and homeowner in the city's Kaisertown neighborhood while attending University at Buffalo night school in business and political science.
In a 2025 interview, Bollman said that he grew up attending programs sponsored by the Buffalo Police Athletic League, which he credited with helping him build lasting community connections.
He is married to the former Carol Lesakowski. In 2025, Bollman said he was "a parent of children enrolled in BPS" while discussing Buffalo's capital budget.
In 2024, Investigative Post reported that Bollman's annual financial disclosure showed outside income from delivery work for Uber Eats and DoorDash.