Bulgaria's acting President Iliana Iotova has won the presidential runoff with 57.58% of the vote, near-final results showed on November 2.

If the Central Election Commission confirms the result, Iotova will become Bulgaria's first elected female head of state.

Her opponents, Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev, took 39.47%. About 2.95% of voters chose the "I support no one" option.

Turnout stayed under 30%, among the lowest ever in a Bulgarian national election. Exit polls had shown a narrower Iotova lead.

In the first round on October 25, the ticket of Iotova and Kiril Valchev led with 34.76% against 31.95% for Gyurov and Kandev.

Iotova ran as an independent, backed by Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria party and the Bulgarian Socialist Party, among others.

She became acting president in January 2026 when Radev resigned to run in the parliamentary race. He has been prime minister since May 8.

Gyurov, a former caretaker prime minister backed by a pro-Western reformist alliance, conceded as early counts showed a clear Iotova lead.

Like Radev, Iotova opposes military aid to Ukraine and favours dialogue with Russia. Her new term begins in January 2027.

Read the full results and what comes next in Bulgaria on Trends News Stories.