Simion received 40.9 percent of the votes in the first round on Sunday, compared to 21 percent. Closely behind followed the right-wing party PNL's former party leader Crin Antonescu at 20.1 percent, reports the news site Politico Europe with reference to figures from Romanian electoral authorities.
The final round between Simion and Dan will be held on May 18.
The result is a crushing defeat for Romania's ruling parties - PNL, the social democratic PSD and the Hungarian minority party UDMR - and has led to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announcing that he intends to resign.
The 38-year-old Simion is a warm supporter of US President Donald Trump and has, among other things, threatened to cut off Romania's military aid to Ukraine.
Within the EU, his far-right party AUR part of the same party family as, among others, the Sweden Democrats, the Polish Law and Justice and the Italian Brothers.
The 55-year-old Dan has been the mayor of Bucharest since 2020 and was previously one of the founders of the country's largest liberal party, USR.
