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Mitchell "Mitch" P. Nowakowski is a council member of the Buffalo Common Council, which is the representative legislative branch of the government of Buffalo, New York. He represents the East Side of Buffalo, which consists of neighborhoods such as Allentown, the lower West Side, part of the waterfront and Marine Drive, Larkinville, the old First Ward, Broadway-Fillmore, and Genesee-Moselle.[1][2]
Mitchell "Mitch" P. Nowakowski | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Buffalo Common Council from the Fillmore district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | David Franczyk |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 24, 1991 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
Domestic partner | Gary A. Wilson Jr. |
| Erie Community College Buffalo State College | |
| Website | |
Political career
editBefore being elected to office, Nowakowski worked as a Buffalo Common Council staffer and served under Council Member David A. Rivera from the Niagara district and David Franczyk from the Fillmore district.[3]
After Franczyk announced in 2019 that he would not seek re-election, Nowakowski ran for the open Fillmore District seat.[4] After defeating three opponents in a Democratic primary, he won the general election in November 2019, taking 64 percent of the vote. He was sworn into office on New Year's Day 2020.[5][6]
Nowakowski was re-elected in 2023.[7] As of 2026, he chairs the Finance Committee and serves on the Civil Service, Budget, Education, Police Oversight, Preservation, Transportation, and Waterfront Development committees.[8]
During his tenure on the Common Council, Nowakowski has focused on issues related to housing, historic preservation, and fiscal accountability.[9][10] He has advocated for stronger oversight of vacant and abandoned properties, supported stabilization efforts for historic buildings, and promoted adaptive reuse projects in neighborhoods including Broadway-Fillmore, Cobblestone, and Downtown Buffalo.[11][12]
Personal life
editNowakowski has cited his Polish heritage as an important influence in his upbringing. A 2024 profile stated that his family has roots in Lackawanna, New York, where his grandfather was raised by Polish immigrant parents.[13] Before moving to Buffalo, he was active in Democratic politics in Orchard Park, New York, where he was raised.[13][14]
He is the partner of Buffalo City Court Judge Gary A. Wilson Jr.[15] The couple resides in the lower West Side of Buffalo.
References
edit- ↑ Scrivani, Maria (March 19, 2020). "Fillmore District Council Member Mitch Nowakowski". Buffalospree.com. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ↑ "- Erie County Board of Elections". Elections.erie.gov. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Election 2019: Buffalo Common Council". Buffalo Toronto Public Media. November 4, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ "End of an Era: Franczyk to give up Common Council seat". Buffalo Toronto Public Media. February 4, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Nowakowski, Bollman win Common Council seats vacated by Franczyk, Fontana". Buffalo Toronto Public Media. November 6, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ "New Common Council members sworn in". Buffalo Toronto Public Media. January 2, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ "2023 General Canvass Book". Erie County Board of Elections. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Mitch Nowakowski". City of Buffalo. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Receivership bill would allow City of Buffalo to target abandoned, dilapidated buildings". WKBW 7 News Buffalo. July 16, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ Kelly, Geoff (May 28, 2024). "Buffalo's fiscal reckoning". Investigative Post. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Buffalo set to reclaim historic Cobblestone District buildings as court denies appeal by owner". Wgrz.com. February 25, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Council approves developer for Broadway-Fillmore infill project". Wgrz.com. February 4, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- 1 2 Franczyk, David (April 20, 2024). "Will Mitch Nowakowski have a meteoric rise?". Am-Pol Eagle. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Mitch Nowakowski's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ Kelly, Geoff (June 11, 2024). "Buffalo lawmakers' side gigs". Investigative Post. Retrieved April 19, 2026.