Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš got good news from voters on Saturday.

His ANO movement was leading the first round of elections for one-third of the seats in the Senate, the upper house of parliament, the Associated Press reported via ABC News. With votes from more than 93% of polling stations counted, ANO could have the most candidates, 13, advancing to next week's runoffs.

Czechs voted Friday and Saturday to choose local leaders and 27 of the Senate's 81 members, Euronews reported. The vote was seen as a popularity test for Babiš.

Babiš is a billionaire populist and founder of the Agrofert food and chemicals group. He served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021. He returned to power after ANO won a strong victory in parliamentary elections in October 2025. ANO formed a nationalist coalition government and still holds a big lead in opinion polls.

The Senate is controlled by pro-Western opposition parties, the AP said. ANO hopes to make gains there. The Senate cannot block most laws on its own, but it can slow them down and plays a role in approving constitutional changes and judges.

Critics worry that Babiš's government could weaken support for Ukraine and drift closer to leaders like Hungary's Viktor Orbán. Babiš says he puts Czech interests first.

Babiš has also long faced questions about conflicts of interest because of his business empire, which he placed in trust funds.

Runoffs will be held next weekend in districts where no candidate won a majority. Final results will show whether ANO can break the opposition's hold on the Senate.

What we know: Babiš's ANO led the first round of Czech Senate elections and could send 13 candidates to next week's runoffs.
What we don't: Whether ANO can break the opposition's hold on the Senate.