2025 Kursk Oblast gubernatorial election

2025 Kursk Oblast gubernatorial election

12–14 September 2025
 
SR–ZP
Candidate Alexander Khinshtein Gennady Bayev
Party United Russia SR–ZP

 
CPRF
LDPR
Candidate Aleksey Bobovnikov Aleksey Tomanov
Party CPRF LDPR

Governor before election

Alexander Khinshtein (acting)
United Russia

Governor-elect

TBD
TBD

The 2025 Kursk Oblast gubernatorial election will take place on 12–14 September 2025, on common election day. Acting Governor of Kursk Oblast Alexander Khinshtein is running for a full term in office.

Background

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
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

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

Results

Summary of the 12–14 September 2025 Kursk Oblast gubernatorial election results
Candidate Party Votes %
Gennady Bayev A Just Russia – For Truth
Aleksey Bobovnikov Communist Party
Alexander Khinshtein (incumbent) United Russia
Aleksey Tomanov Liberal Democratic Party
Valid votes
Blank ballots
Total 100.00
Turnout
Registered voters 100.00
Source:

See also

References

  1. ^ "Старовойта предложили на пост главы Минтранса". tass.ru. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  2. ^ "Первый замгубернатора стал исполняющим обязанности главы Курской области". rbc.ru. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  3. ^ "Алексей Смирнов назначен временно исполняющим обязанности губернатора Курской области". kremlin.ru. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  4. ^ "Смирнов победил на выборах главы Курской области". tass.ru. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  5. ^ "Смирнов сообщил о переходе на новое место работы". rbc.ru. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  6. ^ "Хинштейн стал врио губернатора Курской области". tass.ru. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  7. ^ "Кризисный врио". kommersant.ru. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  8. ^ "Стало известно, где и когда задержали курского экс-губернатора Смирнова". rbc.ru. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  9. ^ "Почему отправили в отставку министра транспорта Романа Старовойта". rbc.ru. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  10. ^ "Уволенный экс-министр транспорта Роман Старовойт совершил самоубийство". rbc.ru. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  11. ^ "Закон "О выборах Губернатора Курской области" от 20 июня 2012 года N 51-ЗКО (с изменениями на 28 апреля 2025 года)". docs.cntd.ru. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  12. ^ "Курский губернатор прокладывает дорогу к выборам". ng.ru. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  13. ^ "Баев Геннадий Александрович". izbirkom.ru. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  14. ^ a b "КПРФ начинает определять кандидатов на губернаторские выборы". ng.ru. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  15. ^ "Бобовников Алексей Николаевич". izbirkom.ru. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  16. ^ "Хинштейн выразил готовность участвовать в выборах губернатора Курской области". tass.ru. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  17. ^ "ТАСС: Хинштейн пойдет на выборы главы Курской области кандидатом от ЕР". tass.ru. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  18. ^ "Хинштейн Александр Евсеевич". izbirkom.ru. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  19. ^ "Томанов Алексей Юрьевич". izbirkom.ru. Retrieved 2025-07-07.