 Chosen to represent his district in a special election held in 2003, he served as a member of several standing committees in the lower legislative body of the New York State Legislature, including the Committee on Aging, the Committee on Cities, the Committee on Economic Development, and the Committee on Job Creation, among others.Boyland came from a family of Brooklyn politicians.His father, William F. Boyland, occupied a seat in the New York State Assembly for two decades, while his uncle, Thomas S. Boyland, was a member of the Assembly from 1977 to 1982.