TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A conservative, Islamist-backed law professor looked set to assume Tunisia’s presidency after polling agencies suggested he overwhelmingly won Sunday’s runoff election in the country that unleashed the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprisings.

Kais Saied’s supporters exploded with joy, celebrating on the main boulevard of Tunis even though official results from Sunday’s runoff vote weren’t expected until Tuesday.

The winner of the topsy-turvy election inherits a North African country struggling to create jobs, revive tourism and overcome sporadic extremist violence — but proud of its still-budding democracy. This is only Tunisia’s second free presidential election.

Polls carried in Tunisian media by Sigma Conseil and Emhrod Consulting forecast that Mr. Saied would come out on top with between 72 percent and 77 percent of the vote. Rival Nabil Karoui, who was in jail for most of the campaign, was projected to win between 23 percent and 27 percent.