Romanians went to the polls in municipal elections overshadowed by a string of corruption scandals that caused the collapse of the government six months ago, with exit polls predicting big gains for leftist candidates.
The vote was seen as a key political test following a devastating nightclub fire in Bucharest that killed 64 people and brought down the corruption-tainted administration of Social Democratic Victor Ponta.
Gabriela Firea, a former journalist, won the mayoral race in the capital Bucharest, according to three exit polls which gave her around 42 percent of the vote.
Firea, 43, was the joint candidate of the leftist alliance of the Social Democrats and the National Union for the Progress of Romania.
The left was also on track to win mayoral seats in at least five of the capital's six districts, according to the exit polls.
Official results are not expected until Monday.
Bucharest has been run by an interim mayor since former mayor Sorin Oprescu was arrested last year on suspicion of taking kickbacks on municipal tenders.
More than 18 million people were eligible to vote for mayors and municipal councils across Romania yesterday.
Turnout stood at just over 48 per cent, according to estimates, down from 56 per cent in the 2012 elections.
Despite the growing public intolerance for corruption and mismanagement, several politicians who are under investigation were among those running for office.
"Twenty-six years after the fall of (former dictator) Nicolae Ceausescu we still don't have the level of civic culture needed to pressure these candidates to abstain from running," political consultant Radu Magdin told AFP.
Magdin said he expected the centre-left Social Democratic Party to sweep the boards, "which would send shockwaves through the Liberals and the right" ahead of a general election set for the autumn.
Romania, one of Europe's poorest countries, is being run by an interim technocratic government until the next elections are held.
