2024 Saint Petersburg gubernatorial election
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The 2024 Saint Petersburg gubernatorial election will take place on 6–8 September 2024, on common election day. Incumbent Governor Alexander Beglov is running to a second term in office.
Background[edit]
Then-Presidential Plenipotentiary to the Northwestern Federal District Alexander Beglov was appointed acting Governor of Saint Petersburg in October 2018, replacing two-term incumbent Georgy Poltavchenko, who resigned at his own request.[1] Beglov previously served as acting Governor of Saint Petersburg between June and October 2003 after Vladimir Yakovlev's resignation and prior to the election of Valentina Matviyenko in the second round of 2003 gubernatorial election. Poltavchenko meanwhile was appointed as chairman of the board of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, where he served until August 2023.[2]
Beglov ran for a full term as an Independent, despite prior affiliations to the United Russia party, and faced a potential highly competitive election due to his soaring unpopularity and the city's overall heightened oppositional sentiments.[3] Several notable candidates were absent from the ballot as Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg members Oleg Kapitonov (LDPR) and Boris Vishnevsky (Yabloko) failed to qualify, while State Duma member Vladimir Bortko (CPRF) unexpectedly withdrew on August 31. Beglov won the September 2019 election with 64.43% against two opponents, Legislative Assembly members Nadezhda Tikhonova of A Just Russia and Mikhail Amosov of Civic Platform, both of whom received around 16%.[4]
Among the most notable events during Beglov's first term was his conflict with businessman and Wagner Group mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. In autumn 2022 Prigozhin claimed that he invested 2 billion rubles into Beglov's 2019 campaign, while the governor sabotaged Wagner's headquarters opening and awarded city contracts to his friends and cronies.[5] Governor Beglov in return replied that the conflict with Prigozhin had been caused by the businessman's desire to control food catering, garbage disposal and subway construction in the city.[6] The conflict wound down with Prigozhin's and his closest allies' demise in a plane crash in August 2023. Political experts claimed that Prigozhin's death virtually eliminated major opposition to Beglov and cleared his way to a second term in office.[7]
In April 2024 during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin Governor Beglov announced his intention to run for a second term and received Putin's endorsement.[8]
Candidates[edit]
In Saint Petersburg candidates for Governor can be nominated by registered political parties or by self-nomination. Candidate for Governor of Saint Petersburg 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 10% of signatures of members and heads of municipalities.[9] In addition, self-nominated candidates should collect 2% of signatures of Saint Petersburg residents. Also gubernatorial candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.
Declared[edit]
- Alexander Beglov (Independent), incumbent Governor of Saint Petersburg (2003, 2018–present)[8]
- Nadezhda Tikhonova (SR–ZP), former Member of Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg (2016–2021), 2019 gubernatorial candidate[10][11]
Publicly expressed interest[edit]
- Mikhail Amosov, Member of Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg (1994–2007, 2016–present), 2003 gubernatorial candidate, 2019 Civic Platform gubernatorial candidate[12]
Potential[edit]
- Olga Khodunova (CPRF), former Member of Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg (2016–2021)[13]
- Roman Kononenko (CPRF), Member of Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg (2021–present)[13]
- Pavel Itkin (LDPR), Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg (2023–present), Member of the Legislative Assembly (2019–present)[14]
- Sergey Malinkovich (Communists of Russia), Member of Altai Krai Legislative Assembly (2021–present), chairman of Communists of Russia party (2022–present), 2014 Nenets AO, 2022 Tambov Oblast and 2023 Altai Krai gubernatorial candidate, 2024 presidential candidate[15]
- Boris Vishnevsky (Yabloko), Member of Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg (2011–present), 2019 gubernatorial candidate, foreign agent[13]
Declined[edit]
- Vladimir Bortko (CPRF), former Member of State Duma (2011–2021), 2019 gubernatorial candidate[13]
- Oksana Dmitriyeva (New People), Member of State Duma (1993–1998, 1999–2016, 2021–present), 2014 A Just Russia gubernatorial candidate[13][16]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Путин назначил Беглова врио главы Петербурга. Полтавченко может возглавить ОСК". tass.ru. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Георгий Полтавченко возглавил совет директоров Объединенной судостроительной корпорации". tass.ru. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "И их осталось трое. Почему старый знакомый Путина Александр Беглов может проиграть выборы губернатора. Репортаж Андрея Перцева". meduza.io. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Беглов побеждает на выборах губернатора Петербурга". vedomosti.ru. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Пригожин заявил, что вложил в предвыборную кампанию Беглова до 2 млрд рублей". kommersant.ru. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Беглов связал с «грязным и алчным бизнесом» свой конфликт с Пригожиным". kommersant.ru. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Александр Беглов с высокой вероятностью пойдет на переизбрание в 2024 году". vedomosti.ru. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ a b "Встреча с губернатором Санкт-Петербурга Александром Бегловым". kremlin.ru. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
- ^ "Закон "О выборах высшего должностного лица Санкт-Петербурга - Губернатора Санкт-Петербурга" (с изменениями на 13 ноября 2023 года)". docs.cntd.ru. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Повторный заход: Тихонову планируют выдвинуть на выборы губернатора Петербурга". dp.ru. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Лидер петербургских эсеров заявила о намерении баллотироваться в губернаторы". kommersant.ru. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
- ^ "Амосов не исключил своего участия в выборах губернатора". zaks.ru. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ a b c d e "Беглову подбирают спарринг-партнеров". ng.ru. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ "Губернатор Петербурга начал готовиться к перевыборам". fontanka.ru. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ "Очевидное для вероятного". kommersant.ru. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ "Дмитриева опровергла своё выдвижение на выборах губернатора в Петербурге". dp.ru. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
