Stefan I. Mychajliw

Stefan I. Mychajliw, Jr. (born 1973) is the Comptroller of Erie County, New York. He has been Comptroller since 2012, defeating David Shenk, who was appointed interim Comptroller when incumbent Mark Poloncarz was elected County Executive.

Early Life

Mychajliw grew up on the East Side of Buffalo, New York. He was born to Polish and Ukrainian immigrants. He attended the Buffalo Public Schools. His family is very traditional, and his uncle tells stories of Stefan's great-grandfather being the village strongman in their ancestral village in the Carpathian Mountains.

Prior to his public service, Mychajliw was a reporter for WGRZ, WKBW and WSTM in Syracuse, NY.

Political Career

Mychajliw was first elected in a special election in 2012, defeating interim Comptroller David Shenk by two percentage points, 51-49%. Mychajliw became the first Republican to win county-wide in a presidential election year in 40 years. In the following year, he ran to fill a full term against notable downsizing activist and perennial candidate Kevin Gaughan, from Hamburg. He easily defeated Gaughan 57-42%. In 2017, he defeated Vanessa Glushefski, a CPA and staffer to Assemblywoman Monica P. Wallace, 55-44%.

Personal Life

Mychajliw is married to the former Ashley Kowalyk and they are expecting a child. He has a daughter from a previous marriage named Mia.

He resides with his family in the town of Hamburg.