2021 Elections

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."

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.