In August 2018, Zourabichvili announced that she would participate in Georgian presidential elections.
While she was officially independent, her campaign was heavily supported by Georgian Dream.
Her main opponent in the election, Grigol Vashadze, was backed by Mikheil Saakashvili.
The pre-election campaign was marred by a highly polarized political environment.
International observers assessed the elections as competitive and free, stressing that "one side enjoyed an undue advantage and the negative character of the campaign on both sides undermined the process", while the misuse of administrative resources "blurred the line between party and state."

In the first round, final results showed Zourabichvili with just 38.7 percent of the vote, one percentage point ahead of Vashadze, forcing a run-off.
Zourabichvili won the 2nd round of the 2018 Georgian presidential election, becoming President-elect.
She was inaugurated as President of Georgia on 16 December 2018, with the ceremony performed in Telavi.

As President, Zourabichvili inherited a new Constitution that entered into force the day of her inauguration and which significantly removed several powers from the Presidency, concentrating them within Parliament and the Prime Minister's Office.
However, this did not stop her from using her position to call for historically-important decisions, including a new investigation into the controversial death of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the country's first President, in 1993.
In August 2018, Zourabichvili announced that she would participate in Georgian presidential elections. While she was officially independent, her campaign was heavily supported by Georgian Dream. Her main opponent in the election, Grigol Vashadze, was backed by Mikheil Saakashvili. The pre-election campaign was marred by a highly polarized political environment. International observers assessed the elections as competitive and free, stressing that "one side enjoyed an undue advantage and the negative character of the campaign on both sides undermined the process", while the misuse of administrative resources "blurred the line between party and state."
In the first round, final results showed Zourabichvili with just 38.7 percent of the vote, one percentage point ahead of Vashadze, forcing a run-off. Zourabichvili won the 2nd round of the 2018 Georgian presidential election, becoming President-elect. She was inaugurated as President of Georgia on 16 December 2018, with the ceremony performed in Telavi.
As President, Zourabichvili inherited a new Constitution that entered into force the day of her inauguration and which significantly removed several powers from the Presidency, concentrating them within Parliament and the Prime Minister's Office. However, this did not stop her from using her position to call for historically-important decisions, including a new investigation into the controversial death of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the country's first President, in 1993.
Salome Zourabichvili