2022_Mari_El_head_election
The 2022 Mari El Republic head election took place on 11 September 2022, on common election day. Acting Head Yury Zaitsev was elected for a full term.[1]
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| Turnout | 32.42% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Chairman of the Moscow Oblast Court of Arbitration Alexander Yevstifeyev was appointed Head of Mari El in April 2017, replacing controversial 4-term incumbent Leonid Markelov.[2] Officially an Independent, Yevstifeyev was nominated by United Russia as its head candidate in the following election, which he won with 88.27%, facing little opposition.[3]
Despite a landslide victory in the head election, during Yevtufeyev's term United Russia ratings in the republic had slipped, as the party won only 37.5% of the vote in 2019 legislative election, while CPRF scored 27%.[4] The ruling party suffered further defeats in the 2021 Russian legislative election: Communist incumbent Sergey Kazankov was reelected in Mari El constituency with 50.36%, and CPRF won by party lists with 36.3% to United Russia's 33.4%.[5]
Aleksander Yevstifeyev allegedly took a leave of absence and asked for his resignation in February 2022 due to his lack of interest leading the region for another 5 years.[6] Given United Russia poor performance in the republic, several candidates from opposition parties were considered for Yevstifeyev's replacement, including State Duma member Sergey Kazankov (CPRF)[7] and State Duma Deputy Speaker Vladislav Davankov (New People).[8] On 10 May Aleksandr Yevtifeyev resigned and President Vladimir Putin appointed Prime Minister of Kalmykia Yury Zaitsev as acting Head of Mari El.[9]
Due to the start of Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and subsequent economic sanctions the cancellation and postponement of direct gubernatorial elections was proposed.[10] The measure was even supported by A Just Russia leader Sergey Mironov.[11] Eventually, the postponement never occurred, as on 10 June State Assembly of the Mari El Republic called head election for 11 September 2022.[12]
Until 2022 only political parties could nominate candidates for head election in Mari El, however, in May 2022 Mari El State Assembly passed a law, allowing self-nomination in the head elections.[13] Candidate for Head of Mari El should be a Russian citizen and at least 30 years old. Each candidate in order to be registered is required to collect at least 9% of signatures of members and heads of municipalities.[14] Self-nominating candidates in addition should collect signatures of 1% of registered voters, or 5,320 people.[15] Also gubernatorial candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.
Registered
- Natalia Glushchenko (SR-ZP), Member of State Assembly of the Mari El Republic, 2017 head candidate[16]
- Anton Mirbadalev (LDPR), Member of State Assembly of the Mari El Republic[17]
- Yury Zaitsev (Independent), acting Head of Mari El, former Prime Minister of Kalmykia (2019-2022)[18]
- Valentina Zlobina (RPPSS), former Deputy Chair of the State Assembly of the Mari El Republic (2004-2007), 2017 head candidate[19]
Did not file
- Vasily Arisov (Independent), physician[20] (failed to collect enough signatures)
Declined
- Ivan Kazankov (CPRF), Member of State Assembly of the Mari El Republic, general director of Zvenigovsky sovkhoz, former Member of State Duma (1999-2003)[21]
- Sergey Kazankov (CPRF), Member of State Duma[22]
Candidates for Federation Council
- Natalia Glushchenko (SR-ZP):
- Boris Gerasimov, former Member of the State Assembly of the Mari El Republic (2014-2019)
- Aleksey Ivanov, ecological activist
- Andrey Zabolotskikh, Member of the State Assembly of the Mari El Republic
- Anton Mirbadalev (LDPR):
- Albert Fyodorov, former Member of the Medvedevo Council of Deputies, 2017 head candidate
- Dmitry Mikhaylov, self-employed
- Aleksey Sherstobitov, Member of the Medvedevsky District Council of Deputies
- Yury Zaitsev (Independent):
- Konstantin Kosachev, incumbent Senator, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council
- Anatoly Smirnov, Chairman of the State Assembly of the Mari El Republic
- Mikhail Vasyutin, First Deputy Chairman of the Government of Mari El
- Valentina Zlobina (RPPSS):
- Raisa Khakimova, pensioner
- Marina Kochkina, pensioner
- Lidia Tysko, pensioner
All sums are in rubles.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yury Zaitsev (incumbent) | Independent | 141,666 | 82.44 | ||
| Anton Mirbadalev | Liberal Democratic Party | 13,567 | 7.90 | ||
| Natalia Glushchenko | A Just Russia — For Truth | 9,905 | 5.76 | ||
| Valentina Zlobina | Party of Pensioners | 3,910 | 2.28 | ||
| Valid votes | 169,048 | 98.37 | |||
| Blank ballots | 2,794 | 1.62 | |||
| Total | 171,842 | 100.00 | |||
| Turnout | 171,842 | 32.42 | |||
| Registered voters | 530,019 | 100.00 | |||
| Source: | [25] | ||||
Incumbent Senator Konstantin Kosachev (United Russia) was re-appointed to the Federation Council.[26]
- "Александр Евстифеев назначен врио Главы Республики Марий Эл Kremlin.ru". Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "Врио главы Марий Эл Евстифеев победил на выборах руководителя республики ria.ru". Archived from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "Выборы в Марий Эл завершились для власти «полным провалом». Что дальше? regnum.ru". Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "Марий Эл голосовала докрасна kommersant.ru". Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "Глава Марий Эл решил уйти в отставку rbc.ru". Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "Глава Марий Эл решил уйти в отставку rbc.ru". Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "«Новые люди» примут участие в трех губернаторских кампаниях впервые с момента создания vedomosti.ru". Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "Путин назначил Юрия Зайцева врио главы Марий Эл tass.ru". Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "В России могут отменить прямые выборы губернаторов". Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "Миронов предложил отменить выборы в единый день голосования осенью". Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "В Марий Эл назначили выборы главы республики на 11 сентября". Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "В выборах на пост главы Марий Эл смогут участвовать самовыдвиженцы". Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "Закон "О выборах Главы Республики Марий Эл"". Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- "Временно самовыдвигающийся". Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.