2024 Zabaykalsky Krai gubernatorial election

The 2024 Zabaykalsky Krai gubernatorial election will take place on 6–8 September 2024, on common election day. Incumbent Governor Aleksandr Osipov is running to a second term in office.

Background
Aleksandr Osipov, former First Deputy Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic, was appointed acting Governor of Zabaykalsky Krai in October 2018. Osipov replaced retiring Governor Natalia Zhdanova, who resigned at her own request three years before the end of her first term. Zhdanova's resignation was mostly credited to low performance in socio-economic development, decreasing approval ratings and poor results of United Russia in the 2018 regional elections.

Legislative Assembly of Zabaykalsky Krai changed the electoral law in March 2019, allowing Independent candidates to run in the gubernatorial election. Osipov ran for a full term as an Independent and overwhelmingly won with 89.61% against three candidates from minor parties, as candidates from major opposition parties (CPRF, LDPR, A Just Russia) were absent from the ballot.

In April 2024 during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin Governor Osipov announced his intention to run for a second term and received Putin's endorsement.

Candidates
In Zabaykalsky Krai candidates for Governor can be nominated by registered political parties or by self-nomination. Candidate for Governor of Zabaykalsky Krai 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 8% of signatures of members and heads of municipalities. In addition, self-nominated candidates should collect 0.5% of signatures of Zabaykalsky Krai residents. Also gubernatorial candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.

Declined

 * Yury Gayduk (CPRF), Member of Legislative Assembly of Zabaykalsky Krai (2018–present), 2019 gubernatorial candidate