America is watching as Buffalo elects a new mayor. Will it be a fifth term for Byron W. Brown or, having lost the Democratic primary to a political novice, will his write-in campaign fail, putting democratic socialist India Walton atop city government in New York’s second-largest city? Voters – those who bother to show up – will make the choice.
That, more than anything, is what’s at stake as the 2021 election season races to its conclusion in Erie County. It’s an election like no other in Buffalo, though one that a 2018 New York City race might have presaged.
In that off-year election, another democratic socialist, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, surprised Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary, defeating the 10-year congressional incumbent and dramatically raising the profile of the American left. Now, Ocasio-Cortez is backing Walton in her effort to move Buffalo in that direction.
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Brown, who all but disregarded that primary challenge, is wide awake now and running an aggressive write-in campaign. Whoever wins – and that could take weeks to determine – will lay down a historical marker: Either an inexperienced candidate who proclaims her socialist leanings will lead Buffalo or a well-known party regular will establish a record by claiming an unprecedented fifth term – and doing it by way of a write-in campaign.
No wonder the country is watching.
Early voting across New York ended on Sunday. In Erie County, 35,421 voters took advantage of the opportunity. That makes Tuesday – Election Day – the last chance for Buffalo residents to choose their direction.
It’s not just Buffalo, of course. In another crucial election, three candidates are vying to restore honor and professionalism to the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. All have law enforcement backgrounds and all acknowledge the need to repair an office administratively ransacked by outgoing Sheriff Timothy B. Howard.
Voters will perform a similar function for the office of Erie County comptroller, choosing between two candidates who promise to restore professionalism to an office abused by outgoing Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw.
Two high-profile supervisors races – in Amherst and Hamburg – will also be decided by Tuesday’s voting, as will seats in the Erie County Legislature. In addition, voters across the state will decide five constitutional amendments.
Whomever you support, it’s important to vote. Participation buttresses democracy, reinforcing the winners and reassuring the losers.
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Here are the 2021 endorsements offered by The Buffalo News editorial board:
• Buffalo mayor: Byron Brown (Vote for him by writing his name in the lower right-hand corner of the ballot and filling in the adjacent circle. You can also use a stamp, but no stickers.)
• Erie County sheriff: Kim Beaty
• Erie County comptroller: Kevin Hardwick
• Erie County Legislature, District 9: John Gilmour
• Amherst supervisor: Brian Kulpa
• Proposal 1, on redistricting changes: Yes
• Proposal 2, on the environment: Yes
• Proposal 3, on voter registration: Yes
• Proposal 4, on absentee voting: Yes
• Proposal 5, on New York City courts: Yes
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