2024 Astrakhan Oblast gubernatorial election

The 2024 Astrakhan Oblast gubernatorial election will take place on 6–8 September 2024, on common election day. Incumbent Governor Igor Babushkin is running 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.