Reynolds was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania and he graduated from the Springville-Griffith Institute. Reynolds was elected to the Concord, New York town board in 1974. He was elected to the Erie County legislature in 1982. He was elected to the New York Assembly as a Republican from Erie County in 1988.

Reynolds ran for the House in 1998 after Bill Paxon was forced out of his leadership role in the House Republican leadership ranks because of his role in a coup against Newt Gingrich. He endorsed Reynolds, who had managed several of his past campaigns, as his successor. There was a considerable amount of controversy over this because Reynolds did not live in Paxon's district, his Springville home being in the neighboring district of fellow Republican Jack Quinn who was running for his own reelection. Reynolds would not move into the district until eight months after the election when he purchased a home in Clarence -- near Amherst, the biggest city in the district.

Reynolds keeps a relatively low public profile, but is considered one of the most powerful Republicans in Congress. He served as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee during the 108th Congress, and is considered a possible candidate to succeed Dennis Hastert as Speaker of the House.

Unlike most New York Republicans, Reynolds has a very conservative voting record. In the 2000 round of redistricting, a special master proposed a plan that would have put considerably more Democrats in his district. While Republicans would have still been in a majority, this would have exposed Reynolds to a challenge from a more moderate Republican in a primary. However, Reynolds wanted a district that would let him vote "like a Southern conservative," as he had for his first two terms. With the help of Dick Cheney, Reynolds pressured the legislature to draw him a district that still remained heavily Republican on paper. He was reelected from this district in 2002, and again 2004. His 2004 challenger was industrialist Jack Davis who lost by about ten percent of the vote. Both candidates are preparing for a rematch in the 2006 elections.

Preceded by: Clarence D. Rappleyea Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly 1995-1998 Succeeded by: John Faso Preceded by: Bill Paxon U.S. Representative, New York 27th District 1999-2003 Succeeded by: Jack Quinn Preceded by: Maurice D. Hinchey U.S. Representative, New York 26th District 2003-present Succeeded by: Incumbent New York Congressional Delegation currently serving in the United States Congress Senators : Charles E. Schumer (D), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) Representative(s) : Timothy H. Bishop (D), Steve Israel (D), Peter T. King (R), Carolyn McCarthy (D), Gary L. Ackerman (D), Gregory W. Meeks (D), Joseph Crowley (D), Jerrold Nadler (D), Anthony D. Weiner (D), Edolphus Towns (D), Major R. Owens (D), Nydia Velázquez (D), Vito Fossella (R), Carolyn B. Maloney (D), Charles B. Rangel (D), José Serrano (D), Eliot L. Engel (D), Nita M. Lowey (D), Sue W. Kelly (R), John E. Sweeney (R), Michael R. McNulty (D), Maurice D. Hinchey (D), John M. McHugh (R), Sherwood Boehlert (R), James T. Walsh (R), Thomas M. Reynolds (R), Brian Higgins (D), Louise Slaughter (D), Randy Kuhl (R)