2023 Samara Oblast gubernatorial election

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. Azarov overwhelmingly won the 2018 gubernatorial election in his own right with 72.63% of the vote over a field of 5 opponents.

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. 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)
 * Aleksey Leskin (CPRF), Deputy Chairman of the Samara Regional Duma (2016–present), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2007–present), 2018 gubernatorial candidate
 * Mikhail Maryakhin (SR–ZP), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2011–present), 2015 and 2018 gubernatorial candidate
 * Sergey Pukhayev (New People), businessman
 * Aleksandr Stepanov (LDPR), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2016–present), 2018 gubernatorial candidate

Failed to qualify

 * Grigory Yeremeyev (DPR), pensioner, perennial candidate

Declined

 * Mikhail Abdalkin (CPRF), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2021–present)
 * Gennady Govorkov (CPRF), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2016–present)
 * 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)
 * Vladimir Koshelev (LDPR), Member of State Duma (2021–present)
 * Andrey Lugovoy (LDPR), Member of State Duma (2007–present)
 * Mikhail Matveyev (CPRF), Member of State Duma (2021–present), 2014 gubernatorial candidate
 * Aleksandr Mileyev (United Russia), Deputy Chairman of the Samara Regional Duma (2021–present), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2011–present)
 * Aleksey Mitrofanov (SR–ZP), Member of Samarsky City District Council of Deputies (2020–present)
 * Yaroslav Nilov (LDPR), Member of State Duma (2011–present), Chairman of the Duma Committee on Labour, Social Policy and Veterans' Affairs (2016–present)

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

Results
! style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| Candidate ! style="text-align:left;"| Party ! width="75"|Votes ! width="30"|%
 * - style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;"
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| Dmitry Azarov (incumbent)
 * style="text-align:left;"| United Russia
 * 1,086,187
 * 83.82
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| Aleksey Leskin
 * style="text-align:left;"| Communist Party
 * 87,252
 * 6.73
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| Aleksandr Stepanov
 * style="text-align:left;"| Liberal Democratic Party
 * 55,514
 * 4.28
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| Mikhail Maryakhin
 * style="text-align:left;"| A Just Russia — For Truth
 * 22,635
 * 1.75
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| Sergey Pukhayev
 * style="text-align:left;"| New People
 * 22,535
 * 1.74
 * style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Valid votes
 * 1,274,123
 * 98.33
 * style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Blank ballots
 * 21,655
 * 1.67
 * - style="font-weight:bold"
 * style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Total
 * 1,295,780
 * 100.00
 * style="background-color:#E9E9E9;" colspan="6"|
 * style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Turnout
 * 1,295,780
 * 53.74
 * style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Registered voters
 * 2,411,123
 * 100.00
 * colspan="5" style="background-color:#E9E9E9;"|
 * - style="font-weight:bold"
 * colspan="4" |Source:
 * }
 * 1,295,780
 * 53.74
 * style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Registered voters
 * 2,411,123
 * 100.00
 * colspan="5" style="background-color:#E9E9E9;"|
 * - style="font-weight:bold"
 * colspan="4" |Source:
 * }
 * colspan="4" |Source:
 * }
 * }

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