2024 Samara Oblast gubernatorial election

The 2024 Samara Oblast gubernatorial election will take place on 6–8 September 2024, on common election day. Acting Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev is eligible to run for a full term in office.

Background
Dmitry Azarov was appointed acting Governor of Samara Oblast in September 2017, replacing Governor Nikolay Merkushkin. Azarov overwhelmingly won the 2018 gubernatorial election in his own right with 72.63% of the vote over a field of 5 opponents. Governor Azarov overwhelmingly won re-election in 2023 with 83.82% of the vote.

Despite easily winning re-election Governor Azarov immediately got into public conflict with Aleksandr Khinshtein, State Duma member from the region and former investigative journalist, which resulted in Khinshtein attacking Azarov and his administration. Throughout the year several current and former government officials in Samara Oblast were caught under the criminal proceedings, including chairman of the Government of Samara Oblast Viktor Kudryashov, minister of construction Mikhail Aseyev, former minister of construction Nikolay Plaksin, head of regional emergency services office Oleg Boyko, director of the department of external relations Vera Shcherbachyova, head of the accounts chamber Yelena Dubrova, advisor to governor Olga Mikheyeva, and former chairman of the court of cassation Aleksandr Yefanov.

In May 2024 rumours appeared about Azarov's potential resignation, eventually, on May 31, 2024, Dmitry Azarov announced his resignation less than a year into his second term. Later that day President of Russia Vladimir Putin met with Chairman of the Government of Tula Oblast Vyacheslav Fedorishchev and asked him to become acting Governor of Samara Oblast, which Fedorishchev agreed to.

Candidates
In Samara Oblast candidates for Governor can be nominated only by registered political parties. 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.

Declined

 * Aleksandr Stepanov (LDPR), Member of Samara Regional Duma (2016–present), 2018 and 2023 gubernatorial candidate