# 2025 Irkutsk Oblast gubernatorial election

The 2025 Irkutsk Oblast gubernatorial election will take place on 14 September 2025, on common election day. The incumbent governor of Irkutsk Oblast, Igor Kobzev, is eligible to run for a second term in office.

## Background

Then-Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations Igor Kobzev was appointed acting governor of Irkutsk Oblast in December 2019, replacing first-term Communist incumbent Sergey Levchenko. Levchenko resigned over poor relations with federal authorities and lack of response to deadly floods in southern Irkutsk Oblast. Former governor Levchenko initially was looking into challenging Kobzev in the 2020 election, however, regional electoral commission ruled that Levchenko is barred that election as it was caused by his resignation. Kobzev ran for a full term as an Independent with the support from United Russia and won the election with 60.79% of the vote, defeating Communist State Duma member Mikhail Shchapov by 35 points. In 2021 Kobzev agreed to lead United Russia for the upcoming Russian legislative election in Irkutsk Oblast, and in November 2021 he officially joined the party.
Kobzev's term as governor was noted by numerous conflicts between the governor and both local and federal elites as well as by a significant drop in Kobzev's own ratings. One of such conflicts spilled out in 2024 in the Bratsk mayoral election between Kobzev who endorsed incumbent mayor Sergey Serebrennikov, while Senator Andrey Chernyshev endorsed his victorious challenger Aleksandr Dubrovin. Kobzev also allegedly damaged relations with billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who owns Irkutsk Oblast enterprises Irkutskenergo, Bratsk and Irkutsk aluminium plants, and Rostec general director Sergey Chemezov, an Irkutsk native. Sources allege Deripaska could endorse Senator Chernyshev against Kobzev, Chemezov is seen close to Legislative Assembly of Irkutsk Oblast speaker Aleksandr Vedernikov, while major local construction tycoons could lend support to former governor Sergey Levchenko.

## Candidates

In Irkutsk Oblast candidates for Governor of Irkutsk Oblast can be nominated by registered political parties or by self-nomination. Candidate for Governor of Irkutsk Oblast should be a Russian citizen and at least 30 years old. Candidates for Governor of Irkutsk Oblast should not have a foreign citizenship or residence permit. Each candidate in order to be registered is required to collect at least 5% of signatures of members and heads of municipalities. In addition, self-nominated candidates should collect 0.5% of signatures of Irkutsk Oblast residents. Also gubernatorial candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.

### Publicly expressed interest

* Igor Kobzev (United Russia), incumbent governor of Irkutsk Oblast (2019–present)

### Potential

* Andrey Chernyshev, senator from Irkutsk Oblast (2020–present)
* Sergey Levchenko (CPRF), Member of State Duma (2000–2003, 2007–2015, 2021–present), former governor of Irkutsk Oblast (2015–2019), 1997 and 2001 gubernatorial candidate
* Sergey Serebrennikov, former Mayor of Bratsk (2005–2010, 2014–2024)
* Mikhail Shchapov (CPRF), Member of State Duma (2016–present), 2020 gubernatorial candidate
* Aleksandr Vedernikov, chairman of the Legislative Assembly of Irkutsk Oblast (2020–present)