Yordanka Fandukova, from the ruling Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria, (GERB) won a clear victory in the battle to become Sofia's mayor, winning 66.1 per cent of the vote as opposed to the Socialist Party candidate Georgi Kadiev's 26.5 per cent, according to exit polls.

Turnout was extremely low, registering 25.7 per cent. 

Fandukova, a former school headmistress, won the election in the first round outright, precluding the need for a second round runoff. With her victory, she becomes the first woman mayor in Sofia's history.

Speaking after her victory, Fandukova said that her victory underlined support for the previous mayor. She also thanked other right-wing parties for not standing against her in the contest.

The campaign, which was widely perceived to be a foregone conclusion, was an extremely low-key and subdued affair.

Prime Minister Boiko Borissov, speaking alongside Fadukova at a post-election news conference, said that the former education minister would carry on her predecessors' good work at the Sofia mayor's office. Borissov took the opportunity to take a swipe at the previous BSP administration for incompetent governance that, he claimed, resulted in Bulgaria losing EU funds that should have gone on infrastructural projects.

Former socialist prime minister Sergei Stanishev, as well as Kadiev, the defeated candidate, explained the poor result by citing the low turnout. Stanishev, in particular, attributed this to voters being put off by the current Government. He said that Kadiev had fought a courageous campaign in which he had pointed out the wrongdoings in Sofia's local government.