[3] By 1948, communists had come to power in Bulgaria, and Todorov began to rise through the ranks of the government.

He served as Prime Minister of Bulgaria, the third highest post in the country, from July 7, 1971,[4] until June 16, 1981.

He supported the reformist wing of the Communist Party during this time, as pressure mounted on Bulgaria and other eastern European countries to reform.

He took part in the removal of long-time party leader Todor Zhivkov from office in 1989.

He won a parliamentary seat in the elections, but resigned later that year for health reasons.