SAO PAULO, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Sao Paulo's mayoral race will head into a second round, with lead challenger Jose Serra taking on incumbent Marta Suplicy, Estado de Sao Paulo reports.
With 98 percent of the votes counted in Sunday's election, Serra -- hailing for the center-right Social Democrats Party -- is leading the left-wing Suplicy, from the Workers' Party, or PT, by 8 percent.
A late-night survey showed Serra had 43.5 percent of the vote, while Suplicy received 35.7 percent. In third and fourth place were former mayors Paulo Maluf and Luiza Erundina .
Under Brazilian electoral law, because no candidate received a majority of the votes, a second round must be held pitting the top two votegetters.
The Sao Paulo race is of particular importance to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as a win for Suplicy and his ruling PT would further solidify his political might in Brazil's most populous state and create momentum for his 2006 reelection bid.
Municipal elections are particularly important to Brazil's federal lawmakers as politicians at the local level often act as vote brokers during federal elections.
Meanwhile election returns for mayoral and other local races continued to filter in throughout the country Monday with Lula's PT appearing as though it will increase its power base at the local level in several states.
