A progressive challenger running her first campaign was poised on Tuesday to beat Buffalos four-term Democratic mayor in a primary upset that would upend the political landscape in New Yorks second-biggest city and signal the strength of the partys left wing.
The challenger, India B. Walton, is a former nurse and community activist who ran with the support of the Democratic Socialists of America and the Working Families Party. She was leading Byron Brown, a longtime member of the Democratic establishment, by 7 percentage points, or about 1,500 votes, as of midnight with all of the in-person ballots counted, according to unofficial results.
Should Ms. Walton, 38, win the primary and then triumph in the general election November a likely result in heavily Democratic Buffalo she would be the first socialist mayor of a major American city since 1960, when Frank P. Zeidler stepped down as Milwaukees mayor. She would also be the first female mayor in Buffalos history.
Ms. Walton celebrated her victory in a jubilant call to her mother that was captured on video, yelling, Mommy, I won. Mommy, Im the mayor of Buffalo. Well, not until January, but, yeah.