2025 Kursk Oblast gubernatorial election
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| Turnout | 54.01% 7.46 pp | |||||||||||||||
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The 2025 Kursk Oblast gubernatorial election took place on 12–14 September 2025, on common election day. Acting Governor of Kursk Oblast Alexander Khinshtein was elected for a full term in office.
First Deputy Governor of Kursk Oblast Aleksey Smirnov became acting Governor of Kursk Oblast in May 2024 after then-governor Roman Starovoyt was nominated as Minister of Transport in Mikhail Mishustin's Second Cabinet.[1][2] Smirnov was appointed acting Governor of Kursk Oblast by President of Russia Vladimir Putin a day later.[3] Smirnov ran for a full term and won the election with 65.28% of the vote.[4]
On December 6, 2024, Smirnov announced his resignation as Governor of Kursk Oblast just 80 days after his inauguration and 200 days since his appointment as acting governor.[5] The same day President Putin appointed State Duma member Alexander Khinshtein, chairman of the Duma Committee on Informational Policy, Technologies and Communications, as acting Governor of Kursk Oblast.[6] Lack of communication and subsequent protests from local residents suffering from the ongoing Ukrainian incursion were named the main reason for Smirnov's sudden dismissal.[7] The appointment of Khinshtein, a longtime parliamentarian and former investigative journalist, was seen to boost the public appearance of governor's office and to resolve issues around communication with local residents. On April 15, 2025, former governor Smirnov and his deputy Aleksey Dedov were arrested for fraud and embezzlement of funds for fortifications construction.[8] On July 7, 2025, former governor Starovoyt was removed from his position as Minister of Transport of Russia, which was widely believed to be connected to the Smirnov's and Dedov's criminal case,[9] however, several hours later after his dismissal Starovoyt committed suicide.[10]
Candidates
In Kursk Oblast candidates for Governor of Kursk Oblast can be nominated only by registered political parties. Candidate for Governor of Kursk Oblast should be a Russian citizen and at least 30 years old. Candidates for Governor of Kursk Oblast should not have a foreign citizenship or residence permit. Each candidate in order to be registered is required to collect at least 6% of signatures of members and heads of municipalities.[11] Also gubernatorial candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.
Declared
| Candidate name, political party |
Occupation | Status | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gennady Bayev SR–ZP |
Member of Kursk Oblast Duma (2021–present) 2024 gubernatorial candidate |
Registered | [12][13] | ||
| Aleksey Bobovnikov Communist Party |
Member of Kursk Oblast Duma (2015–2016, 2021–present) 2024 gubernatorial candidate |
Registered | [14][15] | ||
| Alexander Khinshtein United Russia |
_(cropped).jpg) |
Acting Governor of Kursk Oblast (2024–present) Former Member of State Duma (2003–2016, 2018–2024) |
Registered | [16][17] [18] | |
| Aleksey Tomanov Liberal Democratic Party |
Member of Kursk Oblast Duma (2021–present) Aide to State Duma member Boris Chernyshov 2024 gubernatorial candidate |
Registered | [19] | ||
Declined
- Nikolay Ivanov (CPRF), Member of State Duma (2000–2003, 2011–present)[14]
Candidates for Federation Council
Incumbent Senator Aleksey Kondratyev (United Russia) was not re-nominated.
| Head candidate, political party |
Candidates for Federation Council | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gennady Bayev SR–ZP |
* Aleksey Chushkov, individual entrepreneur * Margarita Krivtsova, cleaning business owner * Vladimir Sumin, pensioner |
Registered | |
| Aleksey Bobovnikov Communist Party |
* Aleksandr Anpilov, Member of Kursk Oblast Duma (1997–2000, 2001–present), former Chairman of the Oblast Duma (2001–2006) * Svetlana Kanunnikova, Member of Kursk City Assembly (2014–present) * Aleksandr Ponarin, Member of Kursk City Assembly (2021–present) |
Registered | |
| Alexander Khinshtein United Russia |
* Igor Chechulin, BARS-Kursk division commander, Rosgvardiya Major General * Yevgeniya Lamonova, Member of Kursk Oblast Duma (2016–2019, 2021–present), 2008 Olympic Champion fencer * Nikolay Shevchenko, Member of Kursk City Assembly (2017–present), businessman |
Registered | |
| Aleksey Tomanov Liberal Democratic Party |
* Vadim Chelpanov, psychologist * Aleksandr Freydin, obstetrician-gynecologist * Konstantin Timofeyev, Member of Kursk City Assembly (2022–present) |
Registered | |
Polls
| Fieldwork date | Polling firm | Khinshtein | Bobovnikov | Tomanov | Bayev | None | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 September 2025 | 2025 election | 86.9 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 81.8 |
| March – August 2025 | INSOMAR | 79 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 71 |
