Italy’s center-left claim mayoral wins; populists slump

By FRANCES D’EMILIO
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Italy’s center-left forces, led by Democrats, are triumphing or clinching runoff slots in Milan and other big city mayoral elections, according to partial vote counts after two days of balloting. But populist 5-Star Movement candidates were apparently headed to stinging losses of their high-profile mayoral posts in Rome and Turin where they had refused campaign alliances with the Democrats and ran solo. According to projections, candidates from the center-left and center-right will vie for Rome’s city hall in two weeks, since no candidate appeared poised to take more than 50% of the vote. Rome’s 5-Star incumbent Mayor Virginia Raggi will finish out of the running, according to state TV projections.