# 2024 Zabaykalsky Krai gubernatorial election

The 2024 Zabaykalsky Krai gubernatorial election will take place on 6–8 September 2024, on common election day. Incumbent Governor Aleksandr Osipov was re-elected to a second term in office.

## Background

Aleksandr Osipov, former First Deputy Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic, was appointed acting Governor of Zabaykalsky Krai in October 2018. Osipov replaced retiring Governor Natalia Zhdanova, who resigned at her own request three years before the end of her first term. Zhdanova's resignation was mostly credited to low performance in socio-economic development, decreasing approval ratings and poor results of United Russia in the 2018 regional elections.
Legislative Assembly of Zabaykalsky Krai changed the electoral law in March 2019, allowing Independent candidates to run in the gubernatorial election. Osipov ran for a full term as an Independent and overwhelmingly won with 89.61% against three candidates from minor parties, as candidates from major opposition parties (CPRF, LDPR, A Just Russia) were absent from the ballot.
In April 2024 during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin Governor Osipov announced his intention to run for a second term and received Putin's endorsement.

## Candidates

In Zabaykalsky Krai candidates for Governor can be nominated by registered political parties or by self-nomination. Candidate for Governor of Zabaykalsky Krai 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 8% of signatures of members and heads of municipalities. In addition, self-nominated candidates should collect 0.5% of signatures of Zabaykalsky Krai residents. 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 |
| Valery Afitsinsky The Greens | Former Member of Duma of Chita (2014–2019) | Registered |
| Konstantin Korostelyov Communists of Russia | Former Member of Legislative Assembly of Zabaykalsky Krai (2018–2023) | Registered |
| Aleksandr Osipov Independent | incumbent Governor of Zabaykalsky Krai (2018–present) | Registered |
| Georgy Shilin Liberal Democratic Party | Member of Legislative Assembly of Zabaykalsky Krai (2013–present) | Registered |
| Natalya Kochergina Independent | Member of Civic Chamber of Zabaykalsky Krai (2016–present) | Withdrew after registration |
| Vyacheslav Palshin Independent | Youth center director | Withdrew after registration |
| Yury Grigoriev SR–ZP | Member of State Duma (2021–present) | Failed to qualify |
| Valentina Podoynitsyna Independent | Former Member of Chita Oblast Duma (2000–2008) | Did not file |
| Andrey Shcherbakov Independent | Businessman | Did not file |
| Maksim Shipitsyn Communist Party | Former First Deputy Prosecutor of Zabaykalsky Krai (2009–2021) | Did not file |

### Declined

* Yury Gayduk (CPRF), Member of Legislative Assembly of Zabaykalsky Krai (2018–present), 2019 gubernatorial candidate

### Candidates for Federation Council

| Gubernatorial candidate, political party | Candidates for Federation Council | Status |
| Valery Afitsinsky The Greens | * Yelizaveta Baranova, financial director * Irina Barysheva, Chita Administration official * Sergey Kisloshchayev, sports instructor | Registered |
| Konstantin Korostelyov Communists of Russia | * Vladimir Ivanchenko (United Russia), Member of Legislative Assembly of Zabaykalsky Krai (2013–present) * Yekaterina Rakhmetulova, theatre deputy director * Daniil Tsypalov, railroad event planner | Registered |
| Aleksandr Osipov Independent | * Natalya Epova, Commissioner for Children's Rights of Zabaykalsky Krai (2023–present) * Eduard Shcherbina, mine worker * Bair Zhamsuyev (United Russia), incumbent Senator (2013–present) | Registered |
| Georgy Shilin Liberal Democratic Party | * Sergey Dyubin, military instructor * Vasilina Kuliyeva, Member of State Duma (2011–2012, 2016–2021, 2023–present) * Viktor Yefimov, Member of Legislative Assembly of Zabaykalsky Krai (2023–present), businessman | Registered |
| Natalya Kochergina Independent | * Damdin Badmatsyrenov, Member of Civic Chamber of Zabaykalsky Krai * Andrey Cherepanov, educator * Aleksandr Potyayev, newspaper publisher | Withdrew after registration |
| Vyacheslav Palshin Independent | * Maria Korotich, nonprofit staffer * Vyacheslav Razdobreyev, youth work specialist * Yevgeny Shadrin, employers association executive director | Withdrew after registration |
| Yury Grigoriev SR–ZP | * Galina Abramova, Chairwoman of the Tungiro-Olyokminsky District Council (2016–present) * Alyona Gantimurova, Member of Duldurginsky District Council (2017–present), teacher * Nikolay Seleznev, former Member of Chitinsky District Council (2013–2023), former Head of Chitinsky District (2013–2018) | Failed to qualify |

## Results

Summary of the 6–8 September 2024 Zabaykalsky Krai gubernatorial election results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Aleksandr Osipov (incumbent) | Independent | 274,444 | 82.27 |
| | Georgy Shilin | Liberal Democratic Party | 24,806 | 7.44 |
| | Konstantin Korostelyov | Communists of Russia | 15,617 | 4.68 |
| | Valery Afitsinsky | The Greens | 10,716 | 3.21 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 325,583 | 97.60 |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 8,004 | 2.40 |
| Total | Total | Total | 333,587 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 333,587 | 43.91 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 759,657 | 100.00 |
| Source: | Source: | Source: | Source: | |
Governor Osipov re-appointed incumbent Senator Bair Zhamsuyev (United Russia) to the Federation Council.