Acting Governor of Kursk Oblast Alexander Khinshtein is eligible to run for a full term in office.

[1][2] Smirnov was appointed acting Governor of Kursk Oblast by President of Russia Vladimir Putin a day later.

[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.

Each candidate in order to be registered is required to collect at least 6% of signatures of members and heads of municipalities.