2023 Samara Oblast gubernatorial election explained

The 2023 Samara Oblast gubernatorial election took place on 8–10 September 2023, on common election day. Incumbent Governor Dmitry Azarov was re-elected to a second term in office.

Background

Federation Council member Dmitry Azarov, a former Mayor of Samara, was appointed acting Governor of Samara Oblast in September 2017, replacing controversial 5-year Governor Nikolay Merkushkin, who resigned at his own request.^[1] Azarov overwhelmingly won the 2018 gubernatorial election in his own right with 72.63% of the vote over a field of 5 opponents.^[2]

Candidates

In Samara Oblast candidates for Governor can be nominated only by registered political parties, self-nomination is not possible. However, candidates are not obliged to be members of the nominating party. Candidate for Governor of Samara Oblast should be a Russian citizen and at least 30 years old. Candidates for Governor 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.^[3] Also gubernatorial candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.

Registered

• Dmitry Azarov (United Russia), incumbent Governor of Samara Oblast (2017–present)^{[4] [5]}
• Aleksey Leskin (CPRF), Deputy Chairman of the Samara Regional Duma (2016–present), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2007–present), 2018 gubernatorial candidate^[6]
• Mikhail Maryakhin (SR–ZP), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2011–present), 2015 and 2018 gubernatorial candidate^{[7] [8]}
• Sergey Pukhayev (New People), businessman^[9]
• Aleksandr Stepanov (LDPR), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2016–present), 2018 gubernatorial candidate^[10]

Failed to qualify

• Grigory Yeremeyev (DPR), pensioner, perennial candidate^[11]

Declined

• Mikhail Abdalkin (CPRF), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2021–present)^[12]
• Gennady Govorkov (CPRF), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2016–present)^[13]
• Alexander Khinshtein (United Russia), Member of State Duma (2003–2016, 2018–present), Chairman of the Duma Committee on Informational Policy, Technologies and Communications (2020–present)^[14]
• Vladimir Koshelev (LDPR), Member of State Duma (2021–present)^[12]
• Andrey Lugovoy (LDPR), Member of State Duma (2007–present)^[15]
• Mikhail Matveyev (CPRF), Member of State Duma (2021–present), 2014 gubernatorial candidate^[13]
• Aleksandr Mileyev (United Russia), Deputy Chairman of the Samara Regional Duma (2021–present), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2011–present)^[16]
• Aleksey Mitrofanov (SR–ZP), Member of Samarsky City District Council of Deputies (2020–present)^[15]
• Yaroslav Nilov (LDPR), Member of State Duma (2011–present), Chairman of the Duma Committee on Labour, Social Policy and Veterans' Affairs (2016–present)^[17]

Candidates for Federation Council

• Dmitry Azarov (United Russia):
  • Dmitry Kholin, Member of Samara Regional Duma (2021–present)
  • Farit Mukhametshin, incumbent Senator from Samara Oblast (2018–present)
  • Yelena Sazonova, former Member of Duma of Tolyatti (2013–2018), AvtoVAZ union activist
• Aleksey Leskin (CPRF):
  • Mikhail Matveyev, Member of State Duma (2021–present), 2014 gubernatorial candidate
  • Vasily Vorobyev, Member of Duma of Tolyatti (2018–present), businessman
  • Marina Yerina, Member of Samara Regional Duma (2021–present)
• Mikhail Maryakhin (SR–ZP):
  • Maksim Guseynov, Member of Samara Regional Duma (2021–present)
  • Dmitry Makarenko, businessman
  • Aleksandr Razuvayev, Member of Duma of Tolyatti (2018–present), former Member of Samara Regional Duma (2011–2016)
• Sergey Pukhayev (New People):
  • Vadim Drykov, businessman
  • Sergey Lushin, road construction executive
  • Dmitry Zavyalov, foundation director
• Aleksandr Stepanov (LDPR):
  • Sergey Andrusenko, aide to State Duma member Vladimir Koshelev
  • Maria Voronina, pensioner
  • Yelena Yashina, Samara State University of Economics employee, business coach

Polls

style=width:200px; rowspan=2	Fieldwork date	style=width:150px; rowspan=2	Polling firm	Azarov	Leskin	Stepanov	Maryakhin	Pukhayev	None	Lead
bgcolor=		bgcolor=		bgcolor=		bgcolor=		bgcolor=
25 July – 10 August 2023	FOM	80%	7%	6%	5%	2%	1%	73%

Results

|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;"! style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| Candidate! style="text-align:left;"| Party! width="75"|Votes! width="30"|%|-| style="background-color:"|| style="text-align:left;"| Dmitry Azarov (incumbent)| style="text-align:left;"| United Russia| | 83.82|-| style="background-color:"|| style="text-align:left;"| Aleksey Leskin| style="text-align:left;"| Communist Party| | 6.73|-| style="background-color:"|| style="text-align:left;"| Aleksandr Stepanov| style="text-align:left;"| Liberal Democratic Party| | 4.28|-| style="background-color:"|| style="text-align:left;"| Mikhail Maryakhin| style="text-align:left;"| A Just Russia — For Truth| | 1.75|-| style="background-color:"|| style="text-align:left;"| Sergey Pukhayev| style="text-align:left;"| New People| | 1.74|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Valid votes| | 98.33|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Blank ballots| | 1.67|- style="font-weight:bold"| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Total| | 100.00|-| style="background-color:#E9E9E9;" colspan="6"||-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Turnout| | 53.74|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Registered voters| | 100.00|-| colspan="5" style="background-color:#E9E9E9;"||- style="font-weight:bold"| colspan="4" |Source:|^[18] |}

Governor Azarov re-appointed incumbent Senator Farit Mukhametshin (Independent) to the Federation Council.^[19]

See also

• 2023 Russian regional elections

Notes and References

1. https://ria.ru/20170926/1505552311.html Новый губернатор: Путин назначил Азарова врио главы Самарской области
2. https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3738038 Губернатора выбрали меньшинством
3. Web site: Закон "О выборах Губернатора Самарской области" (с изменениями на 23 декабря 2022 года). docs.cntd.ru. 2023-03-10.
4. https://oboz.info/samarskaya-oblast-nastroilas-na-novyj-izbiratelnyj-tsikl-s-dejstvuyushhim-gubernatorom/ Самарская область настроилась на новый избирательный цикл с действующим губернатором
5. https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5901289 Самарский губернатор намерен участвовать в выборах главы региона
6. https://kprf.ru/party-live/regnews/219723.html Алексей Лескин выдвинут кандидатом в Губернаторы Самарской области
7. https://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/articles/2023/06/07/979006-putin-vstretilsya-pochti-so-vsemi-glavami-regionov Владимир Путин встретился почти со всеми главами регионов, которые осенью пойдут на переизбрание
8. https://spravedlivo.ru/13265010 Состоялось заседание Президиума Центрального совета Партии СПРАВЕДЛИВАЯ РОССИЯ – ЗА ПРАВДУ
9. https://tass.ru/politika/18278095 Партия "Новые люди" выдвинула своего кандидата на выборы главы Самарской области
10. https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/6082011 Кандидатом в губернаторы Самарской области от ЛДПР стал Александр Степанов
11. https://tass.ru/politika/18230763 Избирком получил документы от четвертого кандидата на выборы главы Самарской области
12. Web site: Будет ли интрига на губернаторских выборах в Самарской области? Отвечают политологи Калачёв и Комелев. bloknot-samara.ru. 2023-03-10.
13. Web site: КПРФ может двинуть в самарские губернаторы Лескина, Матвеева или Говоркова. oboz.info. 2023-03-10.
14. https://bloknot-samara.ru/news/aleksandr-khinshteyn-zayavil-chto-ne-khochet-byt-g-1569428?sphrase_id=6635061 Александр Хинштейн заявил, что не хочет быть губернатором
15. Web site: «Бой с тенью»: в Самаре ищут «приличных» кандидатов для участия в выборах губернатора. bloknot-samara.ru. 2023-03-10.
16. Web site: МИЛЕЕВ, МАТВЕЕВ ИЛИ ХИНШТЕЙН? КТО МОЖЕТ СТАТЬ ГУБЕРНАТОРОМ САМАРСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ. samara.tsargrad.tv. 2023-03-10.
17. http://m.club-rf.ru/63/detail/6834 Имитация конкуренции или давление на Азарова: эксперты комментируют возможное выдвижение депутата ГД от ЛДПР Нилова в губернаторы Самарской области
18. http://www.samara.vybory.izbirkom.ru/region/region/samara?action=show&root=1&tvd=26320002131316&vrn=26320002131312&region=63&global=&sub_region=0&prver=0&pronetvd=null&vibid=26320002131316&type=234 Результаты выборов Губернатора Самарской области, 2023
19. https://oboz.info/samarskuyu-oblast-v-sovete-federatsii-prodolzhit-predstavlyat-farit-muhametshin/ Самарскую область в Совете Федерации продолжит представлять Фарит Мухаметшин