2026 Penza Oblast gubernatorial election
Regional legislative election in Russia
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The 2026 Penza Oblast gubernatorial election will take place on 20 September 2026, on common election day, to elect the Governor of Belgorod Oblast, coinciding with the 2026 Russian legislative election. Incumbent Governor Oleg Melnichenko is running for a second term in office.
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20 September 2026
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Background
Then-Governor of Penza Oblast Ivan Belozertsev was arrested in March 2021, six months after winning re-election for a second full term with 78.72% of the vote, for taking a 31 million rubles bribe from former Senator Boris Shpigel.[1] President of Russia Vladimir Putin sacked Belozertsev for the "loss of trust" and appointed Senator Oleg Melnichenko as acting Governor of Penza Oblast.[2] Melnichenko easily won an election for a full term in September 2021 with 72.38% of the vote.[3] In January 2024 former governor Belozertsev was found guilty of taking bribes and illegal possession of weapons and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.[4]
Melnichenko is a well-known politician in Penza Oblast who previously held high-ranking positions in the regional government and Volga Federal District apparatus. However, his gubernatorial term was largely unremarkable with Melnichenko focusing on transportation and utilities infrastructure refurbishment, increased investments into the social sphere and anticorruption investigations.[5] In preparation for a new term governor Melnichenko made minor adjustments in his cabinet in 2025.[6]
Candidates
In Penza Oblast candidates for governor of Penza Oblast can be nominated only by registered political parties. A candidate for Governor of Penza Oblast should be a Russian citizen and at least 30 years old. Candidates for Governor of Penza Oblast should not have a foreign citizenship or residence permit. Each candidate in order to be registered is required to collect at least 8% of the signatures of municipal deputies and heads of municipalities.[7] 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. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pavel Kulikov Liberal Democratic Party |
Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of Penza Oblast (2022–present) | Nominated | [8] | ||
| Mikhail Lisin A Just Russia |
Member of Penza City Duma (2024–present) Law firm director |
Nominated | [9] | ||
| Oleg Melnichenko United Russia |
 |
Incumbent Governor of Penza Oblast (2021–present) | Nominated | [10][11] [12] | |
| Oleg Shalyapin Communist Party |
Deputy Chairman of the Penza City Duma (2019–present) Member of the City Duma (2014–present) 2020 and 2021 gubernatorial candidate |
Nominated | [13] | ||
| Viktor Yeroshenko Party of Pensioners |
Rector of Institute of Regional Development of Penza Oblast (2025–present) | Nominated | [14] | ||