Buffalo's Democratic Socialist 'Defund The Police' Candidate India Walton Headed To A Defeat

In the end, it turns out the people of Buffalo aren't ready for a socialist mayor. Tuesday night, self-described "proud" democratic socialist India Walton was defeated in the mayoral race by write-in candidate Byron Brown, whom Walton defeated in the Democratic primary.

This wasn't just any write-in candidate. Brown has been the mayor of Buffalo since 2006.

Walton, who received huge support from fellow socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Chuck Schumer, who endorsed her for the position, ran from "defund the police" once she won the Democratic primary after saying in 2020 that she would "absolutely" put it on her platform.

By June of this year, Walton, who led Black Lives Matter rallies in Buffalo after the killing of George Floyd, was claiming to the Buffalo News that "defunding" the police "is not a thing." She started claiming that there would be "reinvesting in communities" and that government would be putting money in "places that we know naturally reduce crime" while pointing to jobs and affordable housing.

“Today’s election was not just a referendum on the City of Buffalo. It was a referendum on the future of our democracy,” Brown said Tuesday night.

It wasn't just the "defund the police" thing that Walton found herself spinning once the pressure of November 2 started to mount. Local TV stations also came after her for things like alleged welfare fraud and unpaid taxes. She also found herself apologizing for calling a fellow politician a "tender dick white man" when her previous "defund" words were thrown back at her.

By the end of election night, it was clear that Buffalo wasn't ready to dip its toes into the socialist waters. Instead, they decided it was time to give Byron Brown a fifth term.