Exit polls: Bulgarian president wins apparent reelection

By VESELIN TOSHKOV
Associated Press

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Exit polls in Bulgaria suggest that incumbent Rumen Radev is the apparent winner in the country’s presidential runoff. Partial official results are expected later Sunday. Surveys by several polling groups give Radev, 58, about 65% of the vote. He is seeking a second five-year term in the largely ceremonial post. Sofia University rector, Atanas Gerdzhikov, who was backed by the center-right GERB party of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, is trailing with 32% support. Radev, a vocal critic of Borissov and firm supporter of last year’s anti-corruption protests, has attracted many Bulgarians who are fed up with politicians they see as corrupt. Radev, a former air force commander, has pledged to maintain Bulgaria’s place in NATO.