Former Binghamton Mayor Ryan to Run for Broome County Sheriff

Matthew Ryan, who served as mayor of the city of Binghamton, is preparing for another election campaign.

Ryan is circulating petitions seeking signatures to become the Democratic party candidate for Broome County sheriff.

Sheriff Fred Akshar, a Republican, is planning to seek a second four-year term. His supporters have been collecting signatures on petitions for the last few weeks.

This won't be the first time Ryan has run for Broome County sheriff. He ran as the Working Families Party candidate against Republican incumbent David Harder in 2018.

Ryan also ran as a Democratic candidate for Broome County district attorney in 2023 against Republican Paul Battisti.

Ryan acknowledged he's working to get on the ballot this year for the position of sheriff during a call to WNBF Radio's local talk program on an unrelated issue. He said he didn't know when he'll formally announce his candidacy.

Ryan said he plans to wage "a much more serious campaign" for sheriff than he ran eight years ago. He said as sheriff he would implement programs aimed at preventing crime in Broome County.

He also said he expected Akshar's "embrace of ICE" would be a major campaign issue.

Ryan was asked whether he believes he could do a better job than Akshar. He said "I could do a thousand times better job than the sheriff."

Akshar could not be reached for comment.

Candidates for Broome County sheriff must collect 1,000 valid signatures to secure a major party line in the November election.

LISTEN: Matthew Ryan discusses his plans on WNBF Radio on March 12, 2026.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.