Rachele Mussolini, the 47-year-old granddaughter of Italy's fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, has won a second term as a city councilor in Rome's municipal election.

She won almost 8,200 votes in the October 3-4 municipal election, more than any other candidate, with virtually all votes tabulated on Wednesday.

Mussolini, who ran for the extreme-right Brothers of Italy party, earned significantly more votes than the 657 she received in the 2016 election.

Mussolini told the daily La Repubblica that she didn't want anything to do with her family's "burden," adding that she had "many left-wing friends."

"In the past, I was solely interviewed because of my surname. During my last time on the city council, they began to inquire about the ideas I championed. "I've put in a lot of effort," she told the paper on Wednesday.

"Since I was a child, I've learned to live with my surname," she explained. "They used to point at me at school, but then Rachele showed up, and the person (that I am) won out over the surname, no matter how burdensome it is."

She refused to go into detail about her feelings about fascism, noting only that she was opposed to its glorification and added, "To deal with this subject, we'd have to talk until tomorrow morning."

She is the daughter of Romano Mussolini, a jazz musician, and Sophia Loren's brother-in-law.

So, how did the elections turn out?

On Sunday and Monday, mayoral elections were held in Italy's four principal cities: Rome, Milan, Naples, and Turin, as well as over 1,000 smaller towns.

A run-off election will be held for two weeks in cities where no candidate receives 50% or more of the vote.

In Milan, Naples, and Bologna, center-left candidates are expected to win without a run-off.

On the 17th and 18th of October, a run-off election for Rome's mayor will be held. Right-wing candidate Enrico Michetti, a lawyer and radio broadcaster, garnered 30%, while center-left candidate Roberto Gualtieri received 27%.