2024 Murmansk Oblast gubernatorial election

The 2024 Murmansk Oblast gubernatorial election will take place on 7–8 September 2024, on common election day. Incumbent Governor Andrey Chibis is running to a second term in office.

Background
Second-term Governor of Murmansk Oblast Marina Kovtun announced her resignation in March 2019, citing personal reasons. Initially Deputy Minister of Energy Aleksey Teksler was expected to be appointed acting Governor of Murmansk Oblast, however, two days prior to Kovtun's resignation Teksler was appointed acting Governor of Chelyabinsk Oblast. Then-Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities and Federal Chief Housing Inspector Andrey Chibis was appointed as Kovtun's replacement.

Chibis ran for a full term nominated by United Russia and won the September 2019 election with 60.07% of the vote against five opponents, including Murmansk Oblast Duma members Maksim Belov (LDPR, 18.27%) and Mikhail Antropov (CPRF, 11.38%), former Apatity mayor. Despite the overwhelming margin of victory (nearly 42 points), it was the third closest gubernatorial election that cycle.

On April 4, 2024 Governor Chibis was attacked and stabbed by a lone assailant after a town hall meeting in Apatity. Chibis survived the attack and was rushed to a hospital in Murmansk for treatment of his injuries, while his deputy Nadezhda Aksenova served as acting Governor of Murmansk Oblast until Chibis's recovery. Two weeks later, on April 18, 2024, Chibis returned to office and the same day held a call with President Vladimir Putin, where the governor expressed his intention to seek a second term and received Putin's endorsement.

Candidates
In Murmansk Oblast candidates for Governor can be nominated by registered political parties or by self-nomination. Candidate for Governor of Murmansk 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 0.5% of signatures of Murmansk Oblast residents. Also gubernatorial candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.

Eliminated at convention

 * Vladimir Mishchenko (United Russia), First Deputy Chairman of the Murmansk Oblast Duma (2016–present), Member of the Oblast Duma (2011–present)
 * Svetlana Videneyeva (United Russia), Chief of Staff of the Murmansk Oblast Duma (2022–present)

Declined

 * Artur Popov (CPRF), Member of Murmansk Oblast Duma (2021–present)