Sanders raising funds for Democratic Socialist candidate in race for Buffalo mayor

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is raising funds for the Democratic Socialist candidate in Buffalo’s mayoral race less than a month out from Election Day.

Sanders sent an email blast urging his supporters to make a small contribution to support India Walton’s campaign for Buffalo mayor, pointing to her progressive ideals.

“Please make a $2.70 contribution to help India Walton win the general election to become the next mayor of the city of Buffalo, New York, and to support our work electing progressives nationwide,” the email reads.

Sen. ⁦@BernieSanders⁩ uses his coveted e-mail list to raise money for Buffalo Mayoral Candidate India Walton. Sanders rarely uses the list to directly fundraise for candidates. Walton- who won the Dem primary- is fending off a write in campaign from incumbent Byron Brown. pic.twitter.com/E9xViLEi0G

— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) October 11, 2021

The fundraising email comes as the race for Buffalo mayor is heating up, with voters set to head to the polls in just three weeks.

Walton, a nurse and community activist, sent shockwaves throughout Buffalo when she scored an upset in June’s Democratic mayoral primary, beating incumbent Mayor Byron Brown (D) and Le’Candice Durham, who was a longshot candidate in the race.

If Walton wins next month, she will become Buffalo’s first female executive and the most high-profile socialist mayor the U.S. has seen in decades.

Days after Walton’s stunning primary victory, however, Brown announced that he would still be running for reelection as a write-in candidate.

He stressed that political races are not “completed” until general elections take place.

“It is important to know that no election is completed, no election is completed, until the general election takes place,” Brown said at the time.

Sanders, in the fundraising email, took a shot at Brown, arguing that he is “being funded by wealthy corporate developers and fighting for an agenda that benefits them.”

In the email, the Independent senator and two-time White House hopeful also likened the opposition Walton’s campaign has received to his own entrance into politics 40 years ago, when he was running to be the mayor of Burlington.

He said Walton’s shocking primary victory — despite claims that her campaign was “too radical” to win — was possible because she highlighted an agenda that “puts people first,” like he did in Burlington.

“When Democratic Socialist India Walton launched her campaign for Mayor of Buffalo, they said she was ‘too radical’ to win. She said she was bold and visionary. They said she had no chance to beat a four term incumbent,” the email reads.

“Then, earlier this year, she shocked everyone and won a close primary race that was only possible because she showed the political power of an agenda that puts people first. Much like we did when I was first elected Mayor of Burlington 40 years ago,” the email added.