The 2026 Republic of North Ossetia–Alania head election took place on 20 September 2026, on common election day, to elect the Head of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania. Incumbent Head Sergey Menyaylo was re-elected for a second term in office. Head of North Ossetia–Alania is elected by the Parliament of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania.
Background Then-Head of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania Vyacheslav Bitarov announced his resignation in April 2021. President of Russia Vladimir Putin accepted Bitarov's resignation and appointed Presidential Envoy to the Siberian Federal District and former Governor of Sevastopol Sergey Menyaylo, an ethnic Ossetian, acting Head of North Ossetia–Alania. Bitarov's resignation was expected due to poor economic situation, elite disarray and lack of necessary management skills which was evident during 2020 anti-lockdown rallies in the region. In September 2021 Menyaylo was elected for a full term by the Parliament of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania with 57 votes in favour out of 68.
Menyaylo's term as Head of North Ossetia–Alania was marked with tackling some social problems and mild economic development. However, Menyaylo could not reach an elite consensus and was unable to manages clashes between local elite.
Candidates Head of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania is elected indirectly, by the Parliament of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, for the term of five years. Candidate for Head of North Ossetia–Alania should be a Russian citizen and at least 30 years old. Candidates for Head of North Ossetia–Alania should not have a foreign citizenship or residence permit. Candidates for Head of North Ossetia–Alania are nominated by political parties, which have factions either in the Parliament of North Ossetia–Alania or in the State Duma, and the parties can nominate up to three candidates each. President of Russia then selects three nominated candidates and submits them to the Parliament of North Ossetia–Alania. The Parliament elects Head of North Ossetia–Alania with a simple majority. Also head candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.
The following parties are eligible to nominate a candidate for Head of North Ossetia–Alania: United Russia Communist Party of the Russian Federation Liberal Democratic Party of Russia A Just Russia New People
Declared Candidate name,political partyOccupationStatusRef.Chermen DudatiCommunist Party Member of Parliament of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania (2022–present)director of the North-Ossetian State Academic Theatre (2020–present)Submitted by the PresidentSergey MenyayloUnited Russia Incumbent Head of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania (2021–present)Submitted by the PresidentOleg VarnavinA Just Russia Former Member of Mozdoksky District Assembly of Representatives (2017–2022)Coal executiveSubmitted by the President
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;"| Sergey Menyaylo (incumbent) | style="text-align:left;"| United Russia | 61 | 92.42 |- | style="background-color:"| | style="text-align:left;"| Oleg Varnavin | style="text-align:left;"| A Just Russia | 5 | 7.58 |- | style="background-color:"| | style="text-align:left;"| Chermen Dudati | style="text-align:left;"| Communist Party | 0 | 0.00 |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Valid votes | 66 | 100.00 |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Blank ballots | 0 | 0.00 |- style="font-weight:bold" | style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Total | 66 | 100.00 |- | style="background-color:#E9E9E9;" colspan="6"| |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Turnout | 66 | 94.29 |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Registered voters | 70 | 100.00 |- | colspan="5" style="background-color:#E9E9E9;"| |- style="font-weight:bold" | colspan="4" |Source:
Head Menyaylo re-appointed incumbent Senator Taymuraz Mamsurov (United Russia) to the Federation Council.
See also 2026 Russian regional elections
References