Rome May Elect First Woman Mayor

Rome may have its first female mayor after Sunday's local runoff elections in Italy.

Thirty-seven-year-old lawyer Virginia Raggi won the first round two weeks ago, earning 35 percent of the vote over the 24 percent of rival Roberto Giachetti of the party that heads the country's ruling coalition.

Raggi represents the populist Five Star Movement (M5S) founded just seven years ago by comedian Beppe Grillo.

Raggi has campaigned on ending corruption in the Italian capital and reversing the trend of severely failing public services across Rome.

M5S has become the leading opposition party against the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his center-left Democratic Party.

Rome is one of more than 100 cities and towns across Italy holding local runoff elections Sunday, representing more than a quarter of the country's population.

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