Brazil's ruling party will likely lose control of South America's biggest city on Sunday in mayoral runoff elections that could see the country's second city elect a former guerrilla who once kidnapped a U.S. ambassador, the Associated Press reported.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's Workers' Party is poised to gain power in many cities - but lose Sao Paulo, the biggest prize and a springboard for the next presidential election.
The latest survey by Datafolha shows incumbent Mayor Gilberto Kassab, of the conservative Democrat Party, nearly 20 points ahead of Marta Suplicy of the Workers' Party.
David Fleischer, a political scientist at the University of Brasilia, said both candidates ran on similar platforms.
But he said Suplicy, a former mayor, lags in the polls because of perceptions of arrogance.