Socialist India Walton appears to have defeated four-term incumbent Byron Brown in the Dem primary for Mayor of Buffalo, NY:
India Walton claims upset in Buffalo mayoral race; Byron Brown pins hopes on absentees https://t.co/l9KTBny83u
— The Buffalo News (@TheBuffaloNews) June 23, 2021
The Buffalo News reports that this “may rank as the most historic upset in the city’s political history”:
India B. Walton, the community activist barely known to many Buffalo voters just months ago, shocked four-term incumbent Byron W. Brown in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for mayor in what may rank as the most historic upset in the city’s political history.
It’s also a major defeat for Andrew Cuomo, too:
In a stunning upset, India Walton appears to have knocked off a close ally of Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the race for mayor of Buffalo, New York. https://t.co/iqRgeKdqBv # via @HuffPostPol
— ➕marianne➕ (@gardengirlove) June 23, 2021
If/when Walton is declared the winner, she will likely be the only candidate on the ballot in November. From WIVB:
Only one other candidate – Scott Wilson – could appear on the November ballot after he filed on an independent line, but his designating petitions are being challenged at the Erie County Board of Elections. Now the results may spell the end of Brown’s long career in Democratic politics as a Council member, state senator, mayor of New York’s second largest city and even a stint as chairman of the state Democratic Party during Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s 2018 campaign.
And there’s no question if she’s a socialist or not:
The speed and conviction with which India Walton answers “Are you a socialist?” with “Oh absolutely” is just incredible pic.twitter.com/rzbcM6NWNS
— Meagan Day (@meaganmday) June 23, 2021
“If you are in an elected office right now, you are being put on notice. We are coming”:
"This victory is ours.
It is the first of many.
If you are in an elected office right now, you are being put on notice.
We are coming."@Indiawaltonbflo declares victory pic.twitter.com/Z1cBjhGWau
— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) June 23, 2021
So, in NYC the former cop is headed to victory. . .
Amid a historic surge in violent crime, NYC Democrats just voted for former NYPD officer Eric Adams, who was relentlessly attacked by woke New York media, because he made crime the central issue of his campaign
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 23, 2021
. . .and in Buffalo it’s the opposite:
Buffalo had a ****90%**** increase in shootings between 2019 and 2020 and a socialist, anti-police brutality organizer is looking like she just won the mayoral primary. This is only to say the politics of all this stuff is not obvious or automatic. https://t.co/goPBPz8PbN
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 23, 2021
One of her supporters is Martin Gugino, the elderly man who was hospitalized after he was shoved to the ground by two Buffalo police officers last summer:
In the crowd, watching as Walton supporters celebrate, Martin Gugino, with 98% of votes in Walton prevailing over Brown by nearly 1,200 votes. @WBFO pic.twitter.com/9p3TBqSFGe
— NicholasLippa (@NicholasLippa) June 23, 2021
This is reminiscent of Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez’s primary win in 2018:
Video @TheBuffaloNews
India Walton leaves Poize Nightclub on Niagara Street to call her mom telling her she won mayoral democratic primary in Buffalo pic.twitter.com/tVNsy2mDe2
— Robert Kirkham (@RobertKirkhamBN) June 23, 2021
And AOC has taken notice:
.@Indiawaltonbflo became a mother at 14 years old. She earned her GED while pregnant w/ twins.
She graduated, became a registered nurse, & then a representative in her union, 1199SEIU. Then directed a Community Land Trust.
Tonight it seems Buffalo may be making her Mayor. 💙 https://t.co/SlKY0fXKF5
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 23, 2021
The incumbent Dem mayor of Rochester lost as well:
Forgot to tweet this out an hour ago cause things are crazy, but Mayor Lovely Warren of Rochester out:https://t.co/Toc1D3pnkk
— Luis Ferré-Sadurní (@luisferre) June 23, 2021
She was defeated by Malik Evans:
“We need to focus on building bridges in our community that is bleeding” – Malik Evans says after defeating incumbent Mayor Warren @News_8 pic.twitter.com/BHeSLjBTrs
— Jack Watson (@JackWatsonTV) June 23, 2021
Warren, like Mayor Brown in Buffalo, faced criticism from the community over a police shooting last year:
RESULT: Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren, who oversaw the city's handling of Daniel Prude's killing by the police, lost her re-election race tonight to Malik Evans, who was endorsed by the WFP.
(Context on Prude's killing: https://t.co/uI0K77GL5i)
— Taniel (@Taniel) June 23, 2021
A “seismic shift” is underway in upstate New York:
Wow. Between this and India Walton likely unseating Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, there’s been a seismic shift in upstate New York. https://t.co/he9guHY27c
— Josefa Velásquez (@J__Velasquez) June 23, 2021
And because there are no viable GOP candidates, meet your new mayors!
New York’s three largest cities are poised to have a new mayor come January:
– NYC (de Blasio termed out)
– Buffalo (Incumbent Byron Brown losing to India Walton)
– Rochester (Incumbent Lovely Warren losing to Malik Evans)— Jon Campbell (@JonCampbellGAN) June 23, 2021
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