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In stunning turmoil in the north of the country, Indian Social Democrat rebel Walton toppled incumbent four-term Buffalo mayor Byron Brown – an ally of Governor Andrew Cuomo – in Tuesday’s primary.
Walton, a 38-year-old mother of four and a staunch union supporter, was pushed to victory, in part, by the strong support of the left-wing Working Families Party — and likely to become the first female mayor in Buffalo history.
“I became a mother at the age of fourteen.” The majority of my campaign leadership team are working mothers. People like us are often told that we don’t belong in politics. But the World Food Program [Working Families Party] “She believed in us and invested in us,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.
Walton was a self-described socialist, who was supported by the Buffalo chapter of the Social Democrats in America.
Buffalo India’s primary Democratic mayoral candidate Walton delivers her victory speech after defeating incumbent Byron Brown on June 22, 2021 in Buffalo, New York. AP
Her shock victory is reminiscent of fellow Social Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’ victory over veteran Paul and former Queens Democratic Party chairman Joe Crowley in the 2018 primary.
Walton said she received a congratulatory call from the AOC, who tweeted about her victory. An AOC spokesperson confirmed that the congresswoman spoke with Walton about her landslide victory.
Walton’s victory represented a major ideological change in Buffalo.
India Walton has strong support from the left-wing Working Families Party
James Griffin, who served as mayor of Buffalo for 16 years in the 1980s and 1990s, was a moderate to conservative Democrat who had both Conservative and Republican support during his tenure.
After the victory, Walton issued a warning shot to the other Democratic incumbents.
“If you are in elected office, you are now notified,” she said during her victory speech on Tuesday night.
“I am just excited to be a part of this movement that heralds progressive politics in Buffalo,” Walton said.
Byron Brown
She continued, “Being the third poorest medium-sized city in this country, we must think about how to begin to eradicate poverty and concentrated deprivation. Social-democratic leanings are a big step in getting us there.”
Walton also said that many of her volunteer supporters will join the World Food Program, which often battles and supports candidates in the Democratic primary against centrist incumbents.
Other Democrats – including Cuomo – have claimed that race has more to do with Brown’s lackluster campaign than a yearning for socialism. Brown, the former head of the state’s Democratic Party, had been directing Rose Garden’s strategy and sought to ignore his main rival.
Brown was so confident of victory that he arrogantly refused to discuss Walton, which Cuomo on Wednesday called a strategic mistake.
“His campaign strategy, as I understand it, was basically to avoid getting involved in a campaign. And then you had a very low turnout,” Cuomo, a three-term incumbent who has been struggling with investigations into his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and allegations of sexual harassment, said.
“Avoid the campaign… It doesn’t work. We’ve seen this movie before.
Democratic Buffalo mayoral candidate India Walton reacts when her supporters with 94% of the vote tell her she will be the winner against Byron Brown.
In the city, another left-leaning candidate gained a foothold in the city council.
DSA-backed candidates secured at least two seats on the council — with AOC pal Tiffany Caban winning nearly half the vote on their common ground in Astoria.
Alexa Aviles also captured more than 40 percent of the first votes in Brooklyn’s 38th council district that covers Sunset Park and Red Hook.
Caban almost scored a surprise in the Democratic primary for Queens County attorneys in 2019, losing in a squeak to Melinda Katz after a recount.
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