BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - India Walton's unofficial victory last week in the Buffalo Mayoral Race was a major win for progressives and democratic socialists in the region.
By contrast, voters in New York City voted a former police captain to potentially be the next mayor of the city. Eric Adams is leading the race and calls himself "the new face of the Democratic Party".
What is the current state of the democratic party in New York? Jacob Neiheisel, an associate professor of political science at the University of Buffalo, said it's tough to decipher exactly where the state party stands based on the primaries in the state's two largest cities.
"I think some features of the race here locally in Buffalo suggest there is a very, very motivated faction in the democratic party who would like to take the party in a more leftward and more progressive direction," he said. "They can be effective if the stars align and there's some circumstances around it...There are some similarities between (Downstate and Upstate). It's really difficult to have a one-size-fits-all approach to run a party in a state as large and as diverse in New York."
Within 24 hours of Tuesday's primary results, the democratic establishment in Erie County coalesced around India Walton.
"We have a big tent as an Erie County Democratic Party," Zellner said. "We're not going to agree with her on everything, but we want to assist her, and help her, and do anything she needs to get elected in November and then govern for the community after that."
Neiheisel said there is a perception that the political party leaders locally are out of touch with their electorate, which is why their move to support Walton was strategic to maintain support.
New York Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs has yet to comment on the victories by Walton in Buffalo and Adams in New York City.
