FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The five-way race for Fresno mayor is expected to come down to just two candidates after Tuesday's primary vote.
In an exclusive Action News poll conducted by Survey USA, shows Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea maintaining the lead, with Lee Brand a close second.
Perea has lead in the polls but the race has tightened. From a 19 point lead in February to a six-point lead in the poll taken over the past few days. He remains optimistic.
"Feeling great, we've been in the lead in this campaign cycle since day one. And we are pretty confident on election night we are going to be in the first position," said Perea.
Perea notes he's been the subject of an onslaught of negative ads in recent weeks, but maintained a healthy lead.
The poll numbers show Perea with 36-percent of voters saying they would cast their ballots for him if the election were held today. Brand came in with 30-percent and H Spees was third with 17-percent.
Brand, a Fresno City Council Member, said he has expected a tight race.
"I still predict on Tuesday it's going to be close. I'm not going to call it one way or the other, but I do believe Supervisor Perea and myself will be in a runoff the following day, and it will be a totally different election in the fall," said Brand.
Brand is heartened by numbers that show among voters who have already returned their ballots, he and Perea are in a dead heat each with 35-percent support.
But among those who say they plan to turn their ballots in before the polls close on Tuesday, Perea has a 10 point advantage over Brand.
For H Spees, a former Pastor, community activist, and officer in the Leadership Foundation, he's hoping the polls are wrong, and his grassroots effort will surprise everyone
"We are seeing people surging towards us every day. Even though the polls show us in third place, we feel like the winds at our backs and it will come right down to the wire tomorrow."
Perea is hinting he expects a bigger win than the polls suggest, and feels the big turnout expected, because of the contest between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, will bring Democrats to the polls and he believes those votes will benefit him.
"I think people are going to be surprised Tuesday night," said Perea.
The Survey USA poll questioned 650 registered voters, it has an error rate of plus or minus four percent.