Branislav Becík, the incumbent Nitra Self-Governing Region chairman since 2022 and Hlas-SD member, holds the leading market position ahead of the October 24, 2026, election. He secured registration with backing from a coalition including Smer-SD, SNS, Republika, and others, plus endorsements from some independent mayors, building on his 2022 victory that ended the long tenure of predecessor Milan Belica. Main challengers Henrich Varga, backed by a broad opposition grouping including PS, SaS, KDH, and Demokrati, and Tibor Csenger of the Hungarian Alliance trail in pricing, reflecting narrower bases in a region with mixed Slovak and Hungarian-speaking voters. Recent opposition criticism of Becík’s use of public funds for infrastructure-promotion billboards has surfaced but has not altered the trader consensus on his frontrunner status.