Bulgaria Presidential Election: Iotova vs. Gyurov

The Bulgaria presidential election is under way today, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, with incumbent President Iliana Iotova leading the polls against former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov in a race shaped by Russia’s war in Ukraine, drone attacks on ships off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, and rising prices. A runoff on Nov. 1 is widely expected because turnout is forecast to fall short of the level needed to win outright.

Who is running for Bulgarian president

Twenty-seven president and vice-president tickets are on the ballot, according to Bulgaria’s state news agency BTA. The two front-runners are Iotova, running with Kiril Valchev, and Gyurov, running with Georgi Kandev.

Iotova became president in January, succeeding Rumen Radev, under whom she had served as vice-president. Radev resigned to lead his Progressive Bulgaria coalition in early parliamentary elections in April, won a landslide and became prime minister, as ProtoThema reported. Iotova is backed by Radev’s governing coalition and the Bulgarian Socialist Party.

Gyurov, an economist who served as caretaker prime minister earlier this year, is supported by the pro-European reformist alliance We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB). His camp argues that the presidency should act as an independent check on Radev’s large parliamentary majority. The third-placed candidate in polls is Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the nationalist, pro-Russian Revival party.

Polls and the 50% turnout rule

The latest polls cited by ProtoThema put Iotova at about 43%, Gyurov at 29% and Kostadinov at 11%. To win in the first round, a candidate needs more than half of the votes cast and turnout above 50% of all registered voters. Pollsters expect turnout near 40%, which would force a second round on Nov. 1 no matter how well the leader does. The runoff has no minimum turnout requirement.

In a hypothetical runoff, a Sova Harris poll gave Iotova and Valchev 65.8% against 34.2% for Gyurov and Kandev, BTA reported. One swing factor is the center-right GERB party of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, which is not fielding a candidate and has not endorsed anyone. Borissov has said he will not vote for Iotova but has also voiced doubts about Gyurov, so the choices of GERB voters could decide a second round.

The Black Sea and the war in Ukraine

Security has dominated the campaign. Euronews reported that the race has focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a rise in drone attacks on commercial vessels off Bulgaria’s coast, along with energy prices and inflation. Bulgaria is a NATO and EU member on the western shore of the Black Sea. The Boston Report covered Sofia’s search for help in our earlier report on Bulgaria, NATO and anti-drone defense in the Black Sea and, more recently, the drone strike on the cargo ship Khoryv off Romania.

The two leading candidates take different lines. Iotova has called for a diplomatic end to the war and a “coalition for peace,” and she rules out sending Bulgarian troops to Ukraine. Gyurov has criticized how the presidency and government have answered Russian threats and calls for clearer statements and concrete action to protect the country. The split reflects a long-running divide in Bulgarian society over ties with Russia versus Western allies.

What the Bulgarian president can do

Bulgaria is a parliamentary democracy, so the prime minister runs the government. But the president, elected for a five-year term, is commander in chief, represents the country abroad, plays a key role in national security and can send laws back to parliament for reconsideration. With Radev already controlling parliament, the result will show whether voters want an ally of the prime minister in the presidency or a counterweight.

A big election day in the Balkans

Bulgaria is not voting alone. Neighboring Serbia also holds elections today, a contest seen as a referendum on President Aleksandar Vucic, as explained in our Serbia election 2026 preview. Bulgaria’s official results had not been announced at the time of publication. If no ticket clears both thresholds, Iotova and Gyurov are expected to meet again in the Nov. 1 runoff, two days before the U.S. midterm elections.

Sources

• ProtoThema: Bulgaria heads to presidential election amid Black Sea tensions
• BTA: Central Election Commission draws ballot numbers
• BTA: Sova Harris runoff poll
• Euronews: Bulgaria votes for president in election dominated by Ukraine war and the economy
• AP News: Bulgarians vote to elect their next president