Buffalo's India Walton believes it 'unlikely' she will win mayoral race against Democratic write-in

Buffalo, New York's India Walton, the city's Democratic nominee for mayor, has issued an update following the event's of Tuesday's election, in which she appeared to have lost to write-ins presumably for Democratic incumbent Mayor Byron Brown. Walton, a socialist, previously beat Brown in the June primary.
Although "tens of thousands of write-in and absentee ballots have yet to be tabulated," and she believes the "margins will be narrow," "it seems unlikely that we will end up with enough votes to inaugurate a Walton administration in January," the candidate wrote in a Wednesday statement posted on Twitter.
Walton, 39, noted that the votes in her favor "came from the exact base we set out to organize." The areas with "more poor people, more Buffalonians of color, and less affordable rents voted for us," she said, while wealthier disticts tended to "go for a write-in candidate."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There were more than 34,000 write-in votes as of Tuesday night, although it is unclear how many of those were for Brown. There were about 24,000 votes for Walton at that time, writes Buffalo's WIVB.
"We fought as hard as we possibly could," Walton said in her statement. "And I believe today ... that the hour will come when we finally draw down power to the everyday people of this city, and build the safe, healthy Buffalo we all need and deserve."
Results are not yet official, but assuming Brown prevails, he will become the first five-term mayor and the first person to win a citywide election as a write-in candidate in Buffalo's history, per WIVB and The Buffalo News. Had Walton won, she would have been the city's first female mayor and the first socialist to lead a major U.S. city since 1960.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
July 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include new TSA rules, FEMA cuts, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy complimenting Donald Trump's new wardrobe
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling