Janet Burman is the projected winner of the Republican primary election in the race for Syracuse mayor, defeating challenger Thomas Babilon and securing her spot on the party’s line in November.

The economist is hoping to be the candidate who can both defeat independent incumbent Mayor Ben Walsh and win the chief executive role in a city where Democrats have dominated for years now.

According to Onondaga County Board of Elections unofficial results as of 11:30 p.m., Burman led Babilon 68-32% with about all precincts reporting.

Burman has made public safety a centerpiece of her campaign and has regularly criticized Mayor Walsh for cutting police and fire department budgets last year. She has also touted her experience as an official with the Workers Compensation Board to handle crises, a skill she wants to bring to the city as the region transitions from the troubles of COVID-19 to the next set of issues that lie on the other side of the pandemic.

Burman unsuccessfully ran for the 53rd state Senate seat in 2018. She then entered the race for mayor and secured the nod from local GOP party leaders with ease earlier this year, but still faces an uphill battle in the months ahead. There hasn't been a Republican mayor in Syracuse since Roy Bernardi left office two decades ago.

Burman will go on to face Mayor Walsh in the general election, as well as the victor of the Democratic nomination, which has yet to be decided.