Delgado selects India Walton as Democratic primary candidate

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

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

“India Walton represents the transformative and courageous leadership New Yorkers are hungry for,” Delgado said in a statement. “He has never been afraid to challenge the status quo, stand up for powerful causes, and put working families first.”

Walton grabbed national headlines in 2021 by pulling off an upset victory over former Buffalo Mayor Bryon Brown in the Democratic primary. His main victory was seen as a sign during the rise of the progressive movement. But he ended up losing the general election to Brown, who ran in a write-in election.

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It was in that intense campaign battle that his previous troubles, including a 2014 arrest, when he was charged with second-degree assault, drew attention. Walton said at the time that the case stemmed from a disagreement with another student at the children’s hospital.

“When I told them politely that I would like to talk to them personally and handle the situation like adults, one said they were intimidated by me and feared for their lives, despite the fact that I’m 4’11” and going into surgery on disability,” Walton told WIVB-TV.

The case was then dismissed in court.

A year later, Walton was ticketed for operating without a license following a traffic stop.

And Walton has had two previous legal disputes: the Erie County Department of Human Services brought a fraud case against her in connection with food stamp assistance in 2003, and a year later, Walton and her then-husband appeared in a tax warrant issued by state officials, regarding unpaid taxes. Documents show it took them five years to pay off the fines and interest owed.

Fox News Digital reached out to Delgado’s campaign for comment, but did not receive a response by the time this story was posted.

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Delgado presented his bid for governor last June, in an unusual situation where a lieutenant governor replaces a sitting governor.

His move to name Walton as his running mate will likely be overshadowed later this week if New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, endorses Hochul.

The governor supported Mamdani, a Democratic nominee, in September last year when he battled former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in the mayoral race in the country’s most populous city.

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

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

The latest public opinion poll in the Democratic primary race, from Siena University, showed Hochul leading by 53 points over Delgado.

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Hochul has not yet announced who he will name as his partner. The governor confirmed this week that he has made a decision and will announce it at the end of Friday’s Democratic state convention in Syracuse, New York.

Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is running for re-election in 2026. (Julia Nikhinson/AP Photo)

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is the GOP gubernatorial nominee.

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President Donald Trump endorsed Blakeman in December, after Republican Representative Elise Stefanik withdrew her bid for governor.