BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Political newcomer India Walton won three of the four districts with the largest voter turnout Tuesday to defeat four-term incumbent Byron Brown in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Buffalo.
While Brown has yet to concede, Walton secured 11,132 votes (51.9 pecent) across the city's nine districts to Brown's 9,625 votes (44.8 percent). Le'Candice Durham captured 650 votes.
Walton's strongest support came in her home district of Niagara, where she outperformed Brown by nearly a three-to-one margin. Brown secured 26 percent of the total vote in the district, compared to the 53 percent he won in the 2017 primary against Mark Schroeder - a drop of 27 percent.
Brown won his home district, Masten, securing 424 more votes than Walton. But even his home turf was less friendly than four years ago. The mayor won 55 percent of the vote this primary, down 13 percent from 2017 when he won 68 percent of the Masten District vote.
Brown's largest margin of victory came in the South District, where he outperformed Walton by 444 votes.
If Walton wins the general election in November, she would become the first female mayor in City of Buffalo history. Walton sat down with 7 Eyewitness News Wednesday to discuss her plans for the City of Buffalo, which she says includes raising taxes up to one percent.
A Brown spokesman says the mayor's team would be meeting to explore a strategy for November, which would require him to win a write-in campaign in order to win an unprecedented fifth term.
Carl Paladino, owner of Ellicott Development, tells 7 Eyewitness News he would consider launching his own write-in campaign for the general election in November if Brown chooses not to do so. A review of Erie County Board of Elections data shows Ellicott Development donated $1,250 to the 43x79 political action committee. 43x79 donated $13,100 to the Brown campaign.
