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Delgado picks India Walton as running mate for Democratic primary

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New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who is mounting a long-shot Democratic primary challenge against his boss, Gov. Kathy Hochul, as he runs for re-election, is choosing a far-left politician with a history of legal and financial troubles as his running mate.

Delgado on Wednesday chose former Buffalo mayoral candidate India Walton, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, as his running mate in an effort to bolster his support among progressives as he runs from the left against Hochul, a moderate Democrat.

“India Walton represents the kind of transformational and morally courageous leadership that New Yorkers are hungry for,” Delgado said in a statement. he said. “He was never afraid to challenge the status quo, stand up to powerful interests, and put working families first.”

Walton made national headlines in 2021 with an upset victory over then-Buffalo Mayor Bryon Brown in the Democratic primary. His primary victory was seen as a beacon during the rise of the progressive movement. But in the general election, he lost overwhelmingly to Brown, who was running as a write-in candidate.

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Democratic Buffalo mayoral primary candidate India Walton delivers her victory speech after defeating incumbent Byron Brown on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, in Buffalo, NY. Brown ran as clerk and later defeated Walton in the general election. (Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News)

During this heated campaign campaign, his past troubles came to the fore, including a 2014 arrest in which he was charged with 2nd degree harassment. Walton said at the time that the accusation stemmed from a dispute with a fellow student at the children’s hospital.

“When I politely told them that I wanted to speak to them personally and handle the situation as adults, one of them claimed that they had been threatened by me and that they feared for their lives even though I was 4’11” and disabled for surgery,” Walton said. WIVB-TV.

The case was later dismissed in court.

A year later, Walton was ticketed for aggravated unlicensed operation following a traffic stop.

And Walton had two previous legal disputes: The Erie County Department of Social Services filed a fraud case against her over food stamp assistance in 2003, and a year later, Walton and her then-husband appeared on a tax warrant issued by state authorities for unpaid taxes. Documents show it took them five years to pay off the fines and interest they owed.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Delgado campaign for comment but did not receive a response at the time of this story’s publication.

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Delgado launched his bid for governor last June, in the rare event of a lieutenant governor appointing an incumbent governor.

If New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, supports Hochul, his move to select Walton as his running mate will likely be overshadowed this week.

The governor endorsed Mamdani, the Democratic candidate who was challenging former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in the mayoral race in the nation’s most populous city last September.

Politico reports that Mamdani will return the favor and support Hochul later this week.

FILE - Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-N.Y., speaks at the Congressional Black Caucus press conference about the importance of investing in Black communities at the Capitol Visitors Center in Washington, D.C., on May 22, 2019 (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images)

New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado is challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images)

The University of Siena’s latest poll in the Democratic primary race showed Hochul with a massive 53-point lead over Delgado.

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Hochul has not yet announced who he will choose as his running mate. The governor confirmed this week that he has made a decision and will announce it by the end of the Democratic state convention in Syracuse, New York, on Friday.