With roots in Buffalo, Hochul is making it clear she will not be supporting India Walton for mayor, despite her primary win in June against the incumbent Democratic mayor, Byron Brown.

“We have a unique situation there, and I’m going to be looking forward to working hard, truly rolling my sleeves up with whomever emerges as the victor,” Hochul said Tuesday. “Buffalo’s success is important to me personally. I will work with whoever the voters select. It is up to the voters.”

What You Need To Know

  • Hochul says will not endorse India Walton, who won the Democratic Primary for Buffalo mayor

  • Hochul says she also stands by Democratic State Chairman Jay Jacobs, despite his controversial remarks

  • There are more calls fro Jacobs ouster within the party, including from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

The unique situation is that Brown is running in the general election as a write-in candidate. Brown has deep ties to the Democratic establishment, including Hochul and the State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs.

When asked on Monday if he would support Walton for mayor, Jacobs told a Spectrum News reporter in Albany that he would not. And he then came close to making a comparison that started a firestorm.

“David Duke. Remember him? The Grand Wizard of the KKK. He moves to New York, he becomes a Democrat and he runs for mayor of the city of Rochester, which has a low primary turnout. I have to endorse David Duke? I don’t think so,” Jacobs said.

Walton says she was surprised by Jacobs remarks.

“It was a huge mistake, and, you know, unfortunately I’ve never had the opportunity to meet Jay Jacobs,” Walton said. “And if he had an opportunity to know what kind of person I am, he wouldn’t have made that type of parallel.”

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined the chorus of voices calling for Jacobs’ ouster, tweeting, “Jay Jacobs absolutely should resign over his disgusting comments comparing a Black single mother who won a historic election to David Duke. India Walton is the Democratic nominee for Mayor of Buffalo. No amount of racist misogyny from the old boys’ club is going to change that.”

Hochul condemned Jacobs remarks, but says she’s not asking him to resign. 

“What Jay Jacobs did was wrong. It was very disturbing,” Hochul said. “Clearly unacceptable and it was hurtful. India Walton did not deserve that. But I’m glad he has apologized. I hope he apologizes to her personally. And that something like this does not happen again.”

Both Jacobs and Brown also have close ties to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Hochul has said she wants to make a clean break from the previous administration, and while she has done that by purging many Cuomo holdovers from her administration, she has not done the same politically, or at least as succinctly.