Douglas Holder has been nominated for US Ambassador to Bulgaria. In addition to an exceptionally prepared lawyer at Legis Group, Douglas Calder is a consistent Republican and supporter of President Donald Trump.
This was announced on "Facebook" by Borislav Tsekov.
The candidacy of the former member of the Florida House of Representatives was proposed by Donald Trump. This was announced by the White House, quoted by NOVA.
Currently, the US does not have an officially appointed permanent ambassador in Sofia. The American embassy is headed by H. Martin McDowell - acting (Charge d'Affaires) – a high-ranking career diplomat who serves as ambassador until a new one is appointed.
The last appointed permanent U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria was Kenneth Merten. He was nominated in 2022, confirmed by the Senate, and began his term in Sofia in April 2023, when he officially presented his credentials to then-President Rumen Radev.
During his term, Merten led the U.S. diplomatic mission during a period of increased strategic cooperation between Bulgaria and the United States - including on topics such as energy, security, and military modernization. He left his post in January 2025, following the change of administration in Washington, in accordance with established diplomatic practice of recalling politically appointed ambassadors.
His immediate predecessor was Hero Mustafa, who held the position from 2019 to 2023. Her term was marked by active public diplomacy.