Buffalo mayoral candidate says hardship prepared her for job

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — If a majority of voters, along with the four-term incumbent, mostly ignored political newcomer India Walton’s campaign for mayor during the Democratic primary, they’re paying attention now.

After upsetting Byron Brown in the June race, a victory in November would put a self-described democratic socialist and, for the first time, a woman, at the helm of New York's second-largest city.

Walton's vault to the doorstep of City Hall may have seemed unlikely while growing up on Buffalo’s impoverished East side and becoming a mother at age 14.

There has been turmoil for the registered nurse and community activist, including financial challenges that she says are all too familiar to many would-be constituents in the Rust Belt city. All, she says, have helped prepare her for this moment.

“I believe that the people closest to the problem are also those closest to the solution,” she said.

Once home to a thriving manufacturing base that over time evaporated, along with nearly half the population, Buffalo's story in more recent years has been about revival. The waterfront was transformed and old industrial buildings given new life as offices, restaurants and living spaces that appeal to young, educated newcomers.

But there remain residents and neighborhoods that feel passed by, and Walton says that while she is eager to work with long-time community and elected leaders, her success shows there is room to challenge the establishment.

“I think it’s important to note that the people of Buffalo are ready for progressive change,” she said. "We must work together to do what is best for our city. And also we are saying no more to the status quo.”

Bhaskar Sunkara, founding editor of socialist magazine Jacobin, said enthusiasm for Walton could suggest openings in...