BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) The late stages of a campaign season often bring about a flurry of endorsements. That is certainly the case in the heated race for Buffalo Mayor, on the eve of early voting.
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is the latest high profile democrat to
make an endorsement in the race for Mayor of Buffalo.
In a tweet, Schumer said he’s endorsing Democrat nominee India Walton because she’s “a community leader, nurse, & mother with a clear progressive vision for her hometown.”
Walton responded in a tweet, saying she’s honored to receive the endorsement.
Schumer's endorsement comes in advance of a weekend visit to Buffalo by
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). The downstate Congresswoman plans a rally with India Walton on Saturday as the early voting period begins.
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Four-term incumbent Mayor Byron Brown has been picking up the support of groups, rather than individuals in his write-in campaign. WNY area Labor Federation AFL-CIO, the CWA and United Auto Workers are just a few large groups supporting Brown.
"There are some endorsements that you want," said ABC Political Director Rick Klein on WBEN Friday. "AOC has a motivating impact largely among younger voters and voters of color. But you can turn that around very easily."
He cites the state of Virginia, where every major democrat is endorsing and campaigning for Terry McAuliffe for governor. "Republican candidates are saying, I don't need outside help, this is about Virginians," said Klein. "You can use that as a proxy for races across the country."
In the race for Buffalo Mayor, Klein says an endorsement from someone like Senator Schumer matters. "A main stream democrat may be concerned about a candidate who has a less traditional political background. The kind of track record and loyalty that the senior senator shows, is more of a symbolic value. I don't think there are many voters in Buffalo or anywhere who would say, OK, if you're going to tell me who to vote for, I'll just do it. That's not how it works typically," he said.
AOC is one of the most divisive names in politics today. What are the risks and
rewards of bringing in a name like hers? "It's not always a good thing. She's good at motivating a particular type of democrat, especially a younger voter. But I also think it can be used against Walton, firing up the other side."
Two high profile democrats are not taking sides. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Congressman Brian Higgins have decided not to make endorsements for Mayor.
Where is the Buffalo Mayor's race on the national radar? "It's an off-year election, so it draws interest," said Klein. "The fact that there was an upset victory in the primary and now there's a write-in campaign makes it pretty intriguing. Write-ins are rarely successful. But they work from time to time."
Klein reminding us that Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski kept her U.S. Senate seat a couple of election cycles ago as a write-in candidate. "It would be an extraordinary story." Klein adding, "Either way, I feel it's going to be
a pretty big story line this year," he said.