BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Democratic candidate for Buffalo Mayor, India Walton, has been endorsed in the November general election by Assemblyman Jonathan Rivera, whose district includes nearly half of Buffalo including the west side.
"She is people driven and not self-driven," Rivera said. "She is a fighter for fairness and she is eager to explore the new and not to repeat the same old. (She is) eager to take on the challenges the city has and eager to do it collectively."
Walton is a political newcomer who defeated four-term incumbent Mayor Byron Brown in June's primary. She is a self-described democratic socialist whose name will be listed on the ballot as the democratic candidate for mayor in the City of Buffalo. Mayor Brown is looking to win a fifth term as a write-in candidate, though he is reportedly seeking to gain an independent line on the ballot, according to the Buffalo News.
The Brown campaign declined to comment on the endorsement and their legal efforts to get his name on the ballot.
"This is really a full circle moment for me," Walton said. "Jon is my neighbor. Jon is my Assembly-person and now Jon is my friend and mentor and has been helping me navigate the complexities of being a newcomer to the political scene."
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Her upset victory over Brown in June led to a shift in the political landscape. The Erie County Democratic Committee initially supported Brown but threw their support to Walton after her win. Still, many establishment democrats are still supportive of the mayor.
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"I feel fully supported by the democratic party," Walton said. "Because I am an organizer, I believe deeply in relationship building and not just transactions. Before we do anything together, I want to make sure that I'm meeting with members of the party. Not only leadership but membership and committee people and making sure we have a great working relationship and that we've built a trust so that we can work together to make the party stronger."
She said she doesn't make much of the legal effort by the Brown campaign to get an independent line.
"We had a primary election," she said. "The voters spoke. He chose not to run a campaign and this is what we have."