BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Following Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown's loss to India Walton in Tuesday's Democratic primary for Mayor of Buffalo, the Brown campaign says a potential write-in campaign is "under serious consideration."
While Brown has yet to concede, Walton secured 11,132 votes (51.9%) across the city's nine districts to Brown's 9,625 votes (44.8%). Le'Candice Durham captured 650 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.
Carl Paladino, owner of Ellicott Development, tells 7 Eyewitness News he would consider launching a 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.
The Brown for Buffalo campaign issued a statement Friday in response to being asked whether or not he supports an effort by local developer and former gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino's effort to organize a write-in campaign:
Hundreds of people have contacted the Mayor to ask him to run as a write-in candidate in November, including Carl Paladino. An equal number of people have offered to financially contribute to such an effort. The Mayor has thanked all of the people who have contacted him for their outreach and support, and their belief that the City of Buffalo needs strong, experienced and consistent leadership in the Mayor's office. Currently, Mayor Brown is weighing this outpouring of support from across the City and region, and taking this suggestion under serious consideration.
In response to the report of a potential write-in campaign by Brown, the India Walton campaign issued the following statement Friday:
Buffalonians went to the polls on Tuesday and elected India Walton as our next mayor. Our campaign is grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve received, from local leaders like Congressman Brian Higgins, Senator Sean Ryan, Assemblyman Jon Rivera, and Erie County Democratic Committee Chair Jeremy Zellner to national figures like Senator Bernie Sanders, and we are committed to working with anyone else willing to work with us in service to the best interest of our beloved community. While Byron Brown has every right to pursue a write-in campaign backed by far-right Trump supporters like Carl Paladino, we urge him to work in the spirit of our City of Good Neighbors as we transition to a Walton Administration.
