Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday said she would not make any "local endorsements" when asked if she would back the mayoral candidacy of India Walton in Buffalo. 

"I'm not making any local endorsements," she told reporters in Buffalo earlier in the day and then sought to move on to another question. "I'm not making endorsements at this time."

Walton, a Democratic socialist, was the surprise winner of the June Democratic primary against Brown, who is seeking a fifth term as mayor of Buffalo. 

Hochul became governor last week after the resignation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, making her the defacto head of the Democratic Party in New York. 

Brown has launched a write-in bid in the general election. His effort to run on an independent ballot line was struck down last week by the Erie County Board of Elections.