In Buffalo, Tuesday’s mayoral primary ended in a stunning upset for the city’s Democratic mayor Byron Brown, who lost the race to a political newcomer in his first campaign.

Brown was defeated by a progressive challenger backed by the Democratic Socialists of America and the Working Families Party, a group often referred to as the “Tea Party of the Left,” signaling the shifting winds in the political landscape of New Zealand’s second largest country. York. city. If elected in November, the new candidate, India Walton, would become the first socialist mayor of a major American city since 1960, when Frank Zeidler was in office in Milwaukee.

Here’s what you need to know:

How likely is Walton to become mayor?

Most likely – Buffalo is a strong Democrat, according to election analysts, with all nine seats on its city council held by members of the Democratic Party. The last time a Republican ruled the city was five mayors ago, in 1965.

However, Brown has yet to concede the primary, telling media on Tuesday night that “we’ll make sure every vote is counted.”

So who is Walton?

India Walton is a public school nurse and community activist born and raised in Buffalo. She had her first child at age 14, and after dropping out of high school to give birth to twins, she earned a GED and nursing degree from SUNY Erie. She was an active protester at the Black Lives Matter protests last summer and spoke out on issues such as police reform, housing and infrastructure.

What does his victory mean?

Brown’s defeat by Walton – a longtime champion of the Democratic establishment and a close ally of somewhat centrist New York Governor Andrew Cuomo – signals growing support for the progressive far left, a change Brown likely has under – felt while running what some have called a lackluster Rose Garden campaign, refusing even to debate Walton.

And with a more critical eye on equality in recent years, Brown’s tenure is also under the microscope. While Buffalo experienced a kind of rebirth during Brown’s day, with key projects such as the Buffalo Sabers’ flagship hockey rink and a nearly $ 1 billion Tesla solar power plant, some argue that all of the world did not take advantage of it.

“The mayor has been in office for 16 years and we have not seen significant improvements in many of our communities, especially those which are predominantly occupied by blacks, browns and the poor,” Walton said in a statement. interview this month.

If elected, she would innovate not only as a socialist mayor, but also as the first female mayor of Buffalo.

Seems like a big deal

But it’s not set in stone yet, as Wikipedia editors quickly point out. They are currently debating whether to remove or postpone Walton’s page in the online encyclopedia, on the grounds that his only notoriety at the moment is running for political office, not yet having won it, or to occupy the position. “Wikipedia can’t act like it’s already won,” wrote one editor.

However, Walton seems to disagree: According to The New York Times, she has already informed her mother that she is the new mayor of Buffalo.