William B. Walton

Who was William B. Walton?

William Bell Walton was an American lawyer, politician, and U.S. Representative from New Mexico.

Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Walton attended the public schools and South Jersey Institute, Bridgeton, New Jersey.

In 1891 he moved to Territory of New Mexico, where he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1893 and commenced practice in Deming, New Mexico. He was the owner of the newspaper, the Silver City Independent, in nearby Silver City, where he would take up residence. Walton served as member of the New Mexico Territorial Legislature in 1901 and 1902, then served as County Clerk of Grant County 1903-1906.

In 1908 Walton was selected as the delegate to the Democratic National Convention, then served as chairman of the New Mexico Democratic Central Committee in 1910.

Next he went to Washington, D.C., to lobby for statehood for the territory, as a member of the New Mexico Constitutional Convention in 1911.

After New Mexico became a state, Walton served in the New Mexico Senate 1912-1916.

Walton was elected as a Democrat "At-Large" to the Sixty-fifth Congress. He did not seek renomination, but was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate in 1918.