BUFFALO, N.Y. — It's Primary Day, and polls closed at 9 p.m.

A big race for voters in Buffalo is the Democratic primary for mayor.

There are three candidates: incumbent Byron Brown, Le'Candice Durham and India Walton.

Brown is trying to make history by becoming the first Buffalo mayor to serve five terms.

Brown, who first took office in 2006, will already share the record for the longest mayoral tenure in the history of the city assuming he finishes out his term.

He voted at Canisius College Tuesday morning.

The mayor says he has overseen an era many have referred to as the Buffalo renaissance, with huge amounts of money invested in the city's waterfront, the medical corridor and the East Side.

Brown also says he's proud of his focus on blight with the city knocking down thousands of vacant houses.

He says he believes he is the candidate with the experience and plan to lead the city out of the pandemic.

"It's all about service,” Brown said. “It's not about the longest-serving mayor. It's about serving well every single day and every single day making a difference in people's lives and trying to move our great city forward.”

Registration in the city vastly favors Democrats so the primary is typically the de-facto election for mayor, and that is the case again this year with no Republican candidate.

Community organizer India Walton is Brown's primary challenger with city complaint clerk Le'Candice Durham also in the race.

Walton has a background in health care, being a nurse and 1199SEIU representative.

She's the founding executive director of the Fruit Belt Community Land Trust, which aims to ensure there's affordable housing in the Fruit Belt neighborhood.

Walton has also been seen on the front lines of social justice and Black Lives Matter protests last year in Western New York following the death of George Floyd.

Despite her lack of political experience, she's hoping voters turn out for her today.

"I would just ask folks to recount what their experience has been over the last 16 years,” said Walton. “Have they seen their conditions in the community, the quality of life for themselves improved? I believe that there is an expiration date to any position, especially when it is ineffective, and I just think that right now people are in a place of wanting hope and progress and I represent hope and progress for the future of Buffalo."

Walton received several endorsements, including from the Buffalo Teachers Federation and Working Families Party.

When asked if she'll still be on the ballot in November under the Working Families Party line if she comes up short tonight, she said she didn't file the appropriate paperwork in time to do so, so whatever happens tonight, she'll have to simply accept the results.

Durham did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.