BUFFALO, N.Y. — Outside the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, hundreds — maybe thousands — waited Saturday morning hoping to attend the Get Out The Vote Rally for mayoral candidate India Walton.
Inside, the performance space was already at capacity. Walton drew a huge crowd as the polls opened for early voting.
The goal was to send them all from the rally to cast their vote. The Democratic primary winner is hoping not just to beat four-term incumbent and write-in candidate Byron Brown, but to make a statement.
"The first thing I need you to do is go and cast your vote," she said at the rally. "Make the headline in the morning say, ‘this is the biggest turnout in the history of early voting in Erie County.’"
Of course, the crowd was not there solely for Walton. Actress and 2018 New York candidate for governor, Cynthia Nixon, was there.
"If you would have told me that in 2021, we would be taking out not only Andrew Cuomo but Byron Brown..." Nixon said on stage.
There was also the headliner: Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose 2018 victory over longtime incumbent Joe Crowley helped spawn the progressive left movement. Since then she said they've seen a number of upstarts successfully take on the party establishment.
"It is not enough for us to just have victories in legislative bodies," she said. "We need to show that we can execute. We need to show that we can do the damn things. We need to show that we can govern in executive positions."
Ocasio-Cortez and Nixon said the political world has its eyes on Buffalo now as it could become a national symbol and standard-bearer if Walton wins.
"India's victory is not just going to be enormous for Buffalo," Nixon said. "It is not just going to be enormous for New York state. It's going to be enormous for New York state and it is going to send ripples and ripples and ripples."
Ocasio-Cortez said when a city takes the lead on new policies, the federal government often follows.
"When India Walton raises wages here, when India Walton protects renters and tenants here, when India Walton starts to cap and starts to stop the runaway cost of housing in this city, we're going to be able to do it federally," she said. "That's why it's important for you all to elect India Walton."