**Iliana Iotova holds a dominant position in the October 25, 2026 Bulgarian presidential election market due to her role as acting president since Rumen Radev’s January resignation, combined with formal endorsements from Progressive Bulgaria (the party Radev founded that secured an outright parliamentary majority in the April 2026 vote) and the Bulgarian Socialist Party.** Recent Global Metrics polling from late June to mid-July placed her at roughly 50% likely support and a Progressive Bulgaria-aligned candidate at 39.7% among intended voters, well ahead of alternatives. Andrey Gyurov, the former caretaker prime minister backed by PP–DB, registers as the clearest challenger at around 23% in the same surveys and is slated for formal nomination by the pro-European democratic forces in late August. Most other listed names remain either undeclared, niche, or lack comparable party infrastructure or polling visibility, keeping their implied probabilities low. The race remains in a pre-campaign phase with candidate registration deadlines in September and the official campaign opening September 25; analysts note Iotova’s broad initial approval (around 50% positive assessments) and the ruling coalition’s organizational edge as the primary drivers of current trader consensus, while highlighting that full candidate lists and any late shifts in opposition coordination could still influence second-round dynamics.