Rome's mayor concedes loss to center-left challenger; calls it blow to Berlusconi's party
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno has quickly conceded defeat in the city's election, acknowledging a big win by center-left challenger Ignazio Marino.
Alemanno told reporters Monday shortly after polls closed that he had congratulated Marino, a transplant surgeon who jumped into politics in 2006. The outgoing mayor called the loss a blow to his center-right party, which is headed by media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, the ex-premier who had campaigned for Alemanno.
With more than half the ballots counted, Marino had garnered about 64 percent of the vote; Alemanno, about 36 percent in the runoff race.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In his laconic style, Alemanno glumly described the loss for Berlusconi's People of Freedom party as "not positive." The party is the main partner in the national coalition government of center-left Premier Enrico Letta.