2025 Novgorod Oblast gubernatorial election

Agency for Strategic Initiatives general director Andrey Nikitin was appointed acting Governor of Novgorod Oblast in February 2017, replacing two-term governor Sergey Mitin.^[1] Nikitin won 2017 election with 67.99% of the vote^[2] and was re-elected in 2022 with 77.03%.^[3] Nikitin was also mentioned as potential member of Mikhail Mishustin's Second Cabinet in 2024 but did not receive an appointment to the Government of Russia when it was formed in May 2024.^[4]

On February 7, 2025, Nikitin unexpectedly announced his resignation as Governor of Novgorod Oblast, with more than two years of his second term left,^[5] later that day Nikitin was appointed Deputy Minister of Transport in charge of digital transformation in the agency, replacing Dmitry Bakanov.^[6][7] First Deputy Governor Aleksandr Dronov became acting Governor of Novgorod Oblast after Nikitin's resignation,^[8] however, quite unusually President of Russia Vladimir Putin did not appoint an acting governor himself immediately following the vacancy.^[9] Dronov was viewed as frontrunner for the nomination but other candidates were allegedly considered, including former Russian-held Government of Zaporozhye Oblast chairman Anton Koltsov and Deputy Prosecutor-General of Russia Andrey Kikot.^[10][11] On March 4, 2025, President Putin held a meeting with Dronov and the next day Aleksandr Dronov was officially appointed acting Governor of Novgorod Oblast.^[12][13] On May 31, 2025, Aleksandr Dronov announced his intention to seek a full term in office.^[14]

In Novgorod Oblast candidates for Governor of Novgorod Oblast can be nominated only by registered political parties. Candidate for Governor of Novgorod Oblast should be a Russian citizen and at least 30 years old. Candidates for Governor of Novgorod Oblast should not have a foreign citizenship or residence permit. Each candidate in order to be registered is required to collect at least 10% of signatures of members and heads of municipalities.^[15] Also gubernatorial candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.

Candidate name, political party			Occupation	Status	Ref.
Aleksey Chursinov Liberal Democratic Party			Member of Novgorod Oblast Duma (2016–present) 2022 gubernatorial candidate	Registered	[16][17]
Aleksandr Dronov United Russia			Acting Governor of Novgorod Oblast (2025–present) Former First Deputy Governor of Novgorod Oblast (2020–2025)	Registered	[14][18]
Nikolay Shvabovich SR–ZP			Member of Duma of Veliky Novgorod (2018–present) Businessman	Registered	[16][19]
Olga Yefimova Communist Party			Aide to State Duma member Ivan Melnikov Former Member of Novgorod Oblast Duma (2006–2011, 2016–2021) 2003, 2012, 2017 and 2022 gubernatorial candidate	Registered	[16][20]
Nikolay Zakharov Party of Pensioners			Member of Novgorod Oblast Duma (2024–present)	Registered	[21]
Viktor Shalyakin Yabloko			Retired Air Force Major	Failed to qualify	[22]
Tatyana Yakovleva Green Alternative			Nonprofit director	Failed to qualify	[23]

• Yury Borovikov (United Russia), Rector of Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University (2017–present), former Member of Novgorod Oblast Duma (2020–2021)^[14]
• Vasily Yan (United Russia), Member of Duma of Veliky Novgorod (2023–present), theatre executive^[14]

• Anna Cherepanova (Yabloko), Member of Duma of Veliky Novgorod (2018–present), 2017 and 2022 gubernatorial candidate^[16]

Incumbent Senator Sergey Mitin (United Russia) was not renominated.

All sums are in rubles.