Iliana Iotova, the incumbent president who assumed office in January 2026 following Rumen Radev’s resignation, maintains a commanding lead in pre-election polling ahead of the October 25 vote. Recent surveys from Trend and Market Links place her ticket with Kiril Valchev at 41–48% support among likely voters, well ahead of Andrey Gyurov at 22–25% and other candidates including Kostadin Kostadinov in the single digits. This positioning draws from backing by Progressive Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, and aligned groups, combined with stable voter intentions over recent weeks. Bulgaria’s two-round system could trigger a runoff on November 1 if no ticket secures a majority or turnout falls below 50%, though her margin leaves limited room for late shifts absent major developments such as turnout surprises or unforeseen political realignments.