Buffalo Mayor Brown Declares Victory in Write-In Campaign Against Democratic Socialist India Walton

The incumbent four-term Democratic politician of Buffalo, Byron Brown, declared a victory Tuesday night in his write-in election campaign against self-proclaimed antiauthoritarian socialist India Walton.

Brown, 63, lost to Walton successful the June Democratic primary before launching a write-in campaign. On Tuesday, helium declared a triumph implicit his hostile aft section media reported Walton had won 41 percent of the ballot portion astir 59 percent of the votes were for “write-in,” according to the Erie County Board of Elections.

However, the write-in votes, nevertheless inactive request to beryllium checked to corroborate that Brown’s sanction has been indicated. Officials are expected to statesman examining the write-in ballots connected Nov. 16.

In a code delivered to his supporters extracurricular of his campaign office soon aft 11 p.m, Brown said the Buffalo politician predetermination was overmuch much than conscionable a, “referendum connected the aboriginal of the metropolis of Buffalo.”

“It was a referendum connected the aboriginal of our democracy,” Brown said, according to The New York Post. “At the precise opening they said we couldn’t win, they said it was intolerable to triumph … You tin ne'er number a Buffalonian out,” helium added.

Brown besides told supporters astatine a downtown lawsuit that helium would find a mode to convey all his voters “over the adjacent 4 years,” The New York Times reports.

Long Island Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi, who endorsed Brown, said his alleged triumph was a “clear triumph of halfway Democratic values implicit the far-left socialist agenda.”

“Voters cognize that pragmatism, solving problems and really getting things done is what makes authorities enactment better,” Suozzi told The NY Post.

The president of the authorities Republican Party, Nick Langworthy, besides congratulated Brown’s evident win, writing connected Twitter, “Socialism has been defeated successful Buffalo!”

However, Walton is yet to concede the contention and connected Wednesday wrote connected Twitter that, “When each the votes are counted, if we’re inactive down, *then* we’ll concede. Until then, relax.”

Previously, Walton had shared a statement saying that, “tens of thousands of write-in and absentee ballots person yet to beryllium tabulated, and we judge that ideology requires that each ballot beryllium counted, and that any improprieties that occurred beryllium brought to light.”

“It seems improbable that we volition extremity up with capable votes to inaugurate a Walton medication successful January,” she said.

Walton, who has received enactment from prominent nationalist progressives, including Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, arsenic good arsenic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also accused Brown of betraying the Democratic Party and “colluding with Republicans” and affluent donors successful an effort to unafraid votes.

“Buffalo is simply a Democratic city,” Walton said connected Tuesday night. “And what we person seen is my hostile actively cooperating and colluding with Republicans and acheronian wealth to decision a idiosyncratic who was going to beryllium a champion for the small guy.”

Brown has served arsenic the archetypal African-American politician of New York state’s second-largest metropolis since 2005.

Walton, who is besides a community activistic and caregiver was calved and raised on Buffalo’s East Side and became a  full-time moving parent astatine the property of conscionable 14.

Her run had focused connected key policies specified arsenic nationalist information and weapon violence, housing, infrastructure, immigration, and betterment from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reuters contributed to this report.