Romanians elected their representatives in local administration, including the general mayor of the capital, county council presidents, members of the General Council of the Municipality of Bucharest, county councils, local mayors, sector mayors of the Capital, and members of local councils for each administrative-territorial unit on Sunday, June 9.

Voter turnout nationwide for the local elections was 49.95% by 10:00 PM on Sunday, when the polls closed, according to the Central Electoral Bureau. Over nine million voters cast their ballots.

According to latest partial results, incumbent mayors kept their seats in Bucharest (general mayor), District 3, District 4, and District 6, but also in Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara, Iasi, Constanta, Craiova, Braila, Arad, Oradea, Campulung, Buzau, Botosani, Galati, and Sibiu.

In District 1, District 2, and District 5 of the capital, the mayoral seat seems to have changed hands, although hotly disputed in the first two. The same happened in Baia Mare, Piatra Neamt, Ploiesti, Slatina, Suceava, and Brasov. 

In Bucharest, Nicușor Dan (independent) won a new mandate as mayor, receiving 47.55% of the votes, after counting votes from most sections, according to data uploaded by the Permanent Electoral Authority. Former mayor Gabriela Firea (PSD) was the runner-up with 22.3%, followed by PUSL’s Cristian Popescu Piedone (PUSL), with 16%. According to the BEC, in Bucharest, 41.28% of voters cast their ballots by 10:00 PM.

Aside from the general mayor, the people of Bucharest also voted for the mayors of the capital’s six sectors.

In District 1, PNL's George Tuță (PNL) is leading amid 98.7% of precincts reporting, but Clotilde Armand’s (USR) team claims votes are still being counted. District 2 is witnessing a showdown between Radu Mihaiu (USR) and Rareș Hopincă (PSD). The latter claims to have won, however.

In District 3, incumbent Robert Negoiță (PSD) won another term with over of the vote, and so did District 4’s Daniel Băluță (PSD), who secured a new term with 60%. In District 5, Vlad Popescu Piedone (PUSL), son of incumbent Cristian Popescu Piedone, won with 43%. Finally, PNL’s Ciprian Ciucu won almost 73% of the votes in District 6.

Partial results in major cities:

Longtime Cluj-Napoca mayor Emil Boc (PNL) won a sixth term with 42.6% of the votes. So did USR mayor Dominic Fritz in Timisoara, with almost 50% of votes to former mayor Nicolae Robu’s 37.7%.

Meanwhile, Lia Olguța Vasilescu (PSD) won with 55.3% of the vote in Craiova, securing another mandate.

Social Democrat Doru Dăncuș reportedly won the mayoral mandate for Baia Mare, besting liberal Ionel Bogdan. In Constanta, on the Black Sea, incumbent Vergil Chițac (PNL) seems to have bested Stelian Ion (USR), 29% to 20%.

In the meantime, Marian Dragomir (PSD) secured a new mandate as mayor of the eastern city of Brăila.

In Iași, the latest data shows incumbent mayor Mihai Chirica (PNL) and Costel Alexe (PNL) as winners of new mandates for the mayor and County Council President of Iași, respectively.

Elena Lasconi (USR) was re-elected as mayor, and the ADU Alliance is set to hold a majority in the Local Council in Câmpulung.

In Piatra-Neamț, liberal mayor Andrei Carabelea acknowledged his defeat to PSD's Adrian Niță by a few hundred votes.

In western Romania, in Arad, current  PNL mayor Călin Bibarț appears to have won a new mandate, according to ongoing parallel vote counting. In Oradea, mayor Florin Birta was reelected for a new term with 68.5% of the votes.

Independent deputy Mihai Polițeanu announced he was elected mayor of Ploiești.

In Slatina, PNL candidate Mario De Mezzo won the mayoral elections and celebrated with supporters in the streets, attributing the victory to public dissatisfaction with the current administration.

In Buzău, mayor Constantin Toma (PSD) secured his third term with over 60% of the votes, and PSD gained a majority in the Municipal Council. Botoșani incumbent mayor Cosmin Andrei (PSD) also claimed victory, emphasizing teamwork and a constructive campaign.

In Galați, Ionuț Pucheanu (PSD) won a third term as mayor.

Meanwhile, in Suceava, Vasile Rîmbu (PSD) won the mayoral election, ending 20 years of PNL leadership. Lucian Harsovschi (PNL) conceded defeat.

Astrid Fodor (FDGR) won another term as mayor of Sibiu, leading with 39.74% of the votes after counting in 94 out of 107 precincts.

In Brasov, George Scripcaru (PNL) is leading 48% to 43.6% over the incumbent Allen Coliban (USR).

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos)