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India Walton

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India Walton
File:IndiaW 2 @alanadetolarts photography (1).jpg
Born1982 or 1983 (age 38 or 39)
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
EducationSUNY Erie (ASN)
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseVernon Walton Jr.
Children4
WebsiteCampaign website

India B. Walton (born 1982 or 1983)[1][2] is an American nurse and politician who is the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for mayor of Buffalo, New York. Walton defeated incumbent Mayor Byron Brown for the party's nomination.

Early life

India Walton was born to Doris Siddiq and Louis Kelly in Buffalo, New York. She attended Lorraine Elementary and Leonardo da Vinci High School. Walton gave birth to her first child when she was fourteen, and lived in a home for young mothers in Lackawanna, New York. She married Vernon Walton Jr. and left high school after giving birth to twin sons at the age of nineteen. Walton later earned a General Educational Development certificate and graduated with a nursing degree from SUNY Erie. She then gave birth to another son.[3][4][5]

Career

Activism

Walton became active in politics at the age of twelve when she protested Rockefeller Drug Laws with her mother as part of the activist group Families Against Mandatory Minimums.[3][4][5] While working as a nurse, she served as a representative for 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.[6] She later became executive director of Fruit Belt Community Land Trust. She was active in the George Floyd protests, and criticized Mayor Byron Brown for his handling of the Buffalo police shoving incident.[7] She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[8]

Mayoral campaign

Walton announced her campaign for the mayoralty of Buffalo, in the 2021 election on December 13, 2020.[9] During the campaign, Brown, who has served as mayor for four terms, refused to debate Walton.[3][10] The Working Families Party, which had supported Brown in every previous election, gave its nomination to Walton and Walton received support from the Democratic Socialists of America.[11][12] However, Walton did not formally accept the party's endorsement before the deadline so she did not appear on the ballot with the Working Families nomination.[13] Her campaign raised $150,000 compared to Brown who raised over $500,000.[8]

Walton was declared the winner of the Democratic primary against Brown and Le'Candice Durham on June 22, 2021.[14] Walton would be the first socialist mayor in New York since George R. Lunn was elected mayor of Schenectady, New York in 1911.[15][16] She will run unopposed in the general election, although Brown has announced a write-in campaign to challenge her.[17]

Political positions

Walton is a democratic socialist.[16] Walton stated that she would decrease the budget of the Buffalo Police Department by $7.5 million by having the police not answer mental health calls or enforce minor traffic violations.[18] She stated that she will make Buffalo a sanctuary city.[19] She supports a moratorium on the creation of new charter schools.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ Shabad, Rebecca (June 23, 2021). "Socialist candidate India Walton defeats Buffalo's four-term mayor". NBC News. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  2. ^ Mahoney, Bill (June 23, 2021). "How a socialist captured Buffalo, a moderate Democratic stronghold". Politico. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Can the Socialist Mayor Rise Again?". The New Republic. June 18, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Sullivan: India Walton is out to conquer the world, or at least Buffalo". WIVB-TV. May 7, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Who is India Walton and Why is She Running for Mayor?". Challenger Community News. March 5, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  6. ^ "India Walton embodies Buffalo's sense of resilience". India Walton. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  7. ^ "Brown told to 'put your signature where your mouth is,' sign Cariol's Law". The Buffalo News. October 21, 2020. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "SOCIALIST INDIA WALTON WILL BE BUFFALO'S NEXT MAYOR". The Intercept. October 21, 2020. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  9. ^ "Buffalo activist India Walton launches campaign for mayor". WIVB-TV. December 13, 2020. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  10. ^ "In Buffalo, New York, Voters Consider a Socialist Mayor". Mother Jones. June 22, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  11. ^ "Working Families' nod to Walton sets primary, general election challenge to Brown". The Buffalo News. February 24, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  12. ^ "India Walton: Corporate Democrats Gave Us Austerity, We Need Something Different". Jacobin. May 22, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  13. ^ "Brown told to 'put your signature where your mouth is,' sign Cariol's Law". The Buffalo News. October 21, 2020. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  14. ^ "India Walton defeats Buffalo mayor in Democratic primary". Associated Press. June 23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  15. ^ "Buffalo's Walton on verge of becoming first big city socialist mayor in 60 years". Politico. June 22, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  16. ^ a b "How India Walton Pulled It Off in the Buffalo Mayoral Primary". The New York Times. June 23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021.
  17. ^ "Mayor Byron Brown weighing write-in campaign against India Walton". The Buffalo News. June 23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021.
  18. ^ "India Walton Could Become The First Socialist Mayor Of A Major U.S. City In Decades". NPR. June 23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021.
  19. ^ "'What is rightfully ours': Socialist candidate India Walton upsets incumbent Democratic mayor of Buffalo". Yahoo! News. June 23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021.
  20. ^ "6 priorities India Walton outlined in her campaign for Buffalo mayor". The Buffalo News. June 23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021.
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