The 2024 Astrakhan Oblast gubernatorial election took place on 6–8 September 2024, on common election day. Incumbent Governor Igor Babushkin was re-elected to a second term in office.
Background Deputy Presidential Envoy to the North Caucasian Federal District Igor Babushkin was appointed acting Governor of Astrakhan Oblast on 5 June 2019, replacing previous acting Governor Sergey Morozov. Morozov unexpectedly asked for resignation just eight months after his appointment in September 2018, and prior to the dismissal was viewed as a favourite to win the upcoming gubernatorial elections. Despite the gubernatorial rotation, elections for a full term remained scheduled for September 2019.
Babushkin ran for a full term as an independent and overwhelmingly won the September 2019 election with 75.63% of the vote, defeating his nearest challenger, Communist State Duma member Nikolay Arefyev by 63 points. Despite the convincing margin of victory, the election was initially viewed as competitive until Babushkin's main opponent, A Just Russia State Duma member and former gubernatorial candidate Oleg Shein, failed to qualify as an Independent. During most of his first term Babushkin nominally remained an Independent, joining United Russia only in June 2023 and immediately being elected to lead the regional party office.
In April 2024 during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin Governor Babushkin announced his intention to run for a second term and received Putin's endorsement.
Candidates In Astrakhan Oblast candidates for Governor can be nominated by registered political parties or by self-nomination. Candidate for Governor of Astrakhan 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 7% of signatures of members and heads of municipalities. In addition, self-nominated candidates should collect 1% of signatures of Astrakhan Oblast 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 partyOccupationStatusRef.Igor BabushkinUnited Russia Incumbent Governor of Astrakhan Oblast (2019–present)RegisteredVitaly BakhilinNew People BusinessmanRegisteredSergey SevastyanovCommunist Party First secretary of CPRF regional committee (2024–present)RegisteredTimofey ShcherbakovLiberal Democratic Party Member of Duma of Astrakhan Oblast (2016–present)2019 gubernatorial candidateRegisteredVladimir SukharevRodina Member of Duma of Astrakhan Oblast (2021–present)BusinessmanRegisteredVladislav KashinIndependent Self-employed Failed to qualify
Candidates for Federation Council Incumbent Senator Alexander Bashkin (United Russia) was not renominated. Gubernatorial candidate,political partyCandidates for Federation CouncilStatusIgor BabushkinUnited Russia * Andrey Derkach, former People's Deputy of Ukraine (1998–2006, 2007–2023)* Viktoria Guryanova, Deputy Chairman of the Government of Astrakhan Oblast (2022–present)* Lilia Ivanova, Deputy Chairwoman of the Astrakhan City Duma (2020–present)RegisteredVitaly BakhilinNew People * Artur Fayzukhanov* Sergey Lampadov, television executive* Daniyar Makhmudov, businessmanRegisteredSergey SevastyanovCommunist Party * Nikita Povalyashko, party secretary* Mikhail Stepanov* Tatyana Teteryatnikova, Member of Duma of Astrakhan Oblast (2016–present)RegisteredTimofey ShcherbakovLiberal Democratic Party * Dmitry Anufriyev, former Member of Duma of Astrakhan Oblast (2016–2021)* Yevgeny Babushkin, Member of Duma of Astrakhan Oblast (2021–present)* Angelina Kalashnikova, individual entrepreneurRegisteredVladimir SukharevRodina * Nurlan Supugaliyev, Member of Council of Volodarsky District (2007–present)* Amir Tanin, businessman* Stanislav Vorokh, Member of Council of Akhtubinsky District (2019–present) Registered
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;"| Igor Babushkin (incumbent) | style="text-align:left;"| United Russia | | 78.17 |- | style="background-color:"| | style="text-align:left;"| Sergey Sevastyanov | style="text-align:left;"| Communist Party | | 7.81 |- | style="background-color:"| | style="text-align:left;"| Timofey Shcherbakov | style="text-align:left;"| Liberal Democratic Party | | 6.13 |- | style="background-color:"| | style="text-align:left;"| Vitaly Bakhilin | style="text-align:left;"| New People | | 4.09 |- | style="background-color:"| | style="text-align:left;"| Vladimir Sukharev | style="text-align:left;"| Rodina | | 2.35 |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Valid votes | | 98.54 |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Blank ballots | | 1.46 |- 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 | | 43.55 |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Registered voters | | 100.00 |- | colspan="5" style="background-color:#E9E9E9;"| |- style="font-weight:bold" | colspan="4" |Source:
Governor Babushkin appointed former People's Deputy of Ukraine Andrey Derkach (Independent) to the Federation Council, replacing incumbent Senator Alexander Bashkin (United Russia).
See also 2024 Russian regional elections
References