1996 Russian gubernatorial elections explained

Election Name:	1996 Russian gubernatorial elections
Country:	Russia
Type:	parliamentary
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1995 Russian gubernatorial elections
Previous Year:	1995
Election Date:	24 March – 29 December 1996
Next Election:	1997 Russian gubernatorial elections
Next Year:	1997
Seats For Election:	51 Heads of Federal Subjects from 89
Alliance1:	People's Patriotic Union of Russia
Leader1:	Gennady Zyuganov
Image1:	Zyuganov portrait (cropped).jpg
Image1 Size:	150x150px
Colour1:	CC1111
Seats1:	23
Alliance2:	All-Russian Coordination Council
Leader2:	Sergey Filatov
Image2 Size:	150x150px
Colour2:	23238E
Seats2:	17

Gubernatorial elections in 1996 took place in 51 regions of the Russian Federation. President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaymiyev as well as mayors of Moscow and Saint Petersburg Yury Luzhkov and Anatoly Sobchak (all three elected in 1991) went to the re-election, while other regions held their first gubernatorial elections that year. All these campaigns were held after the 1996 Russian presidential election.

Background

In August 1996, two coalitions were presented, which formally became the main participants in the countrywides election campaign. Our Home – Russia, Democratic Choice of Russia, Party of Russian Unity and Accord and 16 other parties and movements loyal to re-elected Boris Yeltsin were united through representation in the All-Russian Coordination Council (OKS). It was opposed by the People's Patriotic Union of Russia (NPSR) associated with the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and its allies. Former Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergei Filatov was appointed the head of OKS, while NPSR was headed by Gennady Zyuganov, leader of CPRF.

NPSR initially announced the lists of approved candidates publicly and centrally, but by the end of the campaign it gave a significant part of the initiative to the localities. In some cases, the support was unilateral (without public commitment of the candidate). Among the candidates supported by NPSR were three incumbent governors, and in three regions the alliance observed neutrality. OKS supported mainly the incumbent governors. As a result of the autumn-winter electoral marathon, 22 out of 49 running incumbents re-elected. The second tours in Mari El and Tyumen Oblast moved to 1997, as well as recall elections in Amur Oblast, Agin-Buryat and Evenk Autonomous Okrugs.^[1]

Results

Federal Subject	Date	Incumbent	First elected	Candidates
Tatarstan			1991	Mintimer Shaymiyev 97.14%
Saint Petersburg	, 2 June		1991	Vladimir Yakovlev 21.58% / 47.49% Anatoly Sobchak 29.02% / 45.76% Yury Boldyrev 17.09% Yuri Sevenard 10.02% Alexander Belyakov 9.82%
Moscow			1991	Yury Luzhkov / Valery Shantsev 88.49% Olga Sergeyeva / Stanislav Terekhov 4.94% Aleksandr Krasnov / Nikolay Moskvichyov 3.31%

Federal Subject	Date	Incumbent	Incumbent status	Candidates	Result
Saratov Oblast			Appointed 1996	Dmitry Ayatskov (OKS) 80.19% Anatoly Gordeyev (CPRF/NPSR) 16.06%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Amur Oblast		Yury Lyashko	Appointed 1996	(NPSR) 41.10% Yury Lyashko (OKS) 41.02% Pavel Stein 9.34%		Election results annulled.
Leningrad Oblast			Appointed 1991	Vadim Gustov (NPSR) 53.37% Alexander Belyakov (OKS) 31.66%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Rostov Oblast			Appointed 1991	Vladimir Chub (OKS) 62.16% Leonid Ivanchenko (NPSR) 31.60%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Vologda Oblast			Appointed 1996	Vyacheslav Pozgalyov 80.69% Mikhail Surov 4.21% Mikhail Beznin (CPRF/NPSR) 3.22% Nikolay Podgornov 3.18%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Kaliningrad Oblast	, 20 October		Appointed 1991	Leonid Gorbenko (NPSR) 22.29% / 49.56% Yuri Matochkin (OKS) 31.33% / 40.44% Yuri Semyonov 21.65%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Kirov Oblast	, 20 October		Appointed 1991	39.64% / 50.46% Gennady Shtin 30.54% / 45.45% Vasily Desyatnikov (OKS) 18.20%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Yamalo-Nenets AO			Appointed 1994	68.88% Vladimir Goman 22.77%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Kursk Oblast			Appointed 1991	Alexander Rutskoy (Derzhava/NPSR) 76.85% Vasily Shuteyev (OKS) 17.55%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Pskov Oblast	, 3 November		Appointed 1992	Yevgeny Mikhailov (LDPR) 22.71% / 56.46% Vladislav Tumanov (supported by OKS, Yabloko) 30.92% / 36.89% Vladimir Sidorenko (APR) 14.93% Ivan Komar (CHiR) 14.09% Vitaly Pushkaryov 10.94%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. LDPR gain.
Sakhalin Oblast			Appointed 1995	Igor Farkhutdinov (OKS) 39.47% Anatoly Chyorny (NPSR) 27.20% Nikolay Dolgikh 9.44% Vladimir Bersenev (Yabloko) 7.21%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Jewish AO			Appointed 1991	Nikolay Volkov (supported by OKS, Yabloko) 70.09% Sergey Leskov 16.28%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Krasnodar Krai			Appointed 1996	Nikolai Kondratenko (NPSR) 57.17% Nikolai Yegorov 24.75% Viktor Krokhmal (CHiR) 7.79% Boris Vavilov (LDPR) 2.33% Yevgeny Kharitonov (OKS) 2.00%		Election results annulled.
Stavropol Krai	, 17 November		Appointed 1995	Alexander Chernogorov (CPRF/NPSR) 47.80% / 55.10% Pyotr Marchenko (NDR, supported by OKS, Yabloko) 37.63% / 40.15%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Kaluga Oblast	, 9 November		Appointed 1996	Valery Sudarenkov (supported by NPSR and Yabloko) 45.76% / 63.51% Oleg Savchenko (OKS) 39.63% / 30.48% Gennady Pushkin (LDPR) 3.57%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Chita Oblast			Appointed 1996	Ravil Geniatulin (OKS) 30.76% Yaroslav Shvyryayev 22.89% Vladimir Bogatov (LDPR) 19.55% Viktor Kurochkin (supported by DR and Yabloko) 10.98% Viktor Kolesnikov (APR/NPSR) 7.14%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Agin-Buryat AO			Appointed 1996	Bolot Ayushiyev 46.71% Yury Dondokov 46.16%		Election results annulled.
Khanty-Mansi AO			Appointed 1991	Alexander Filipenko (OKS, NPSR) 71.49% Gennady Korepanov 11.18%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Magadan Oblast			Appointed 1991	Valentin Tsvetkov (NPSR, Yabloko) 45.96% Viktor Mikhailov (OKS) 41.31%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Altai Krai	, 1 December		Appointed 1994	Alexander Surikov (NPSR) 46.92% / 49.36% Lev Korshunov (OKS) 43.39% / 46.14%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Kamchatka Oblast	, 1 December		Appointed 1991	Vladimir Biryukov (OKS) 47.67% / 60.96% Boris Oleynikov 10.65% / 27.80% Mikhail Kulak 9.36% Nikolay Tokmantsev 8.02%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Murmansk Oblast	, 1 December		Appointed 1991	Yury Yevdokimov (NPSR in 2nd round) 20.10% / 43.45% Yevgeny Komarov (OKS) 31.09% / 40.64% Mikhail Zub 13.92% Boris Vorobyov (LDPR) 10.15% Vasily Kalayda (NPSR) 7.14% Igor Lebedev (Yabloko) 4.93%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Komi-Permyak AO			Appointed 1991	Nikolay Poluyanov (OKS) 69.63% Anatoly Fedoseyev (Constitutional Party) 15.26%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Koryak AO			Appointed 1991	Valentina Bronevich (endorsed by NPSR nominee) 47.13% Sergey Leushkin (OKS) 25.58% Nikolay Savelyev 9.92%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Ust-Orda Buryat AO			Appointed 1991	37.34% Aleksey Batagayev (OKS) 26.84% Ivan Ivanov (CPRF) 25.70%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. Independent gain.
Kurgan Oblast	, 8 December		Appointed 1995	Oleg Bogomolov (NPSR) 40.87% / 66.29% Anatoly Koltashov (Yabloko) 33.14%, withdrew from 2nd round Anatoly Sobolev (OKS) 12.92%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Khakassia	, 22 December		Premier since 1992 (nonelected)	Aleksey Lebed (CHiR) 42.10% / 71.85% Yevgeny Reznikov 17.00% / 19.77% Yevgeny Smirnov 11.06%... Nikolay Bulankin (OKS) 4.76%		New prime minister elected. Honor and Homeland gain.
Ivanovo Oblast			Appointed 1996	Vladislav Tikhomirov (OKS) 50.12% Sergey Sirotkin (LDPR) 23.86% Nikolay Lobayev (DVR) 9.41% Ivan Pimenov (CPRF/NPSR) 7.11%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Samara Oblast			Appointed 1991	Konstantin Titov (NDR/OKS, Yabloko) 63.39% Valentin Romanov (CPRF/NPSR) 29.86%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Nenets AO	, 13 December		Appointed 1996	21.99% / 48.46% Vladimir Khabarov (OKS) 40.64% / 40.27% Yury Komarovsky 15.30%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. Independent gain.
Khabarovsk Krai			Appointed 1991	Viktor Ishayev (OKS/local NPSR) 76.93% Valentin Tsoi 7.23%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Arkhangelsk Oblast	, 22 December		Appointed 1996	Anatoly Yefremov (OKS) 34.54% / 8.67% Yury Guskov (CPRF/NPSR) 28.85% / 33.24%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Astrakhan Oblast			Appointed 1991	Anatoly Guzhvin (OKS) 52.45% Vyacheslav Zvolinsky (CPRF/NPSR) 39.79%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Bryansk Oblast			Appointed 1996	Yury Lodkin (CPRF/NPSR) 54.54% Aleksandr Semernyov (OKS) 25.81% Vladimir Barabanov 5.57%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Vladimir Oblast			Appointed 1991	Nikolay Vinogradov (CPRF/NPSR) 62.29% Yury Vlasov (OKS) 21.71%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Voronezh Oblast			Appointed 1996	Ivan Shabanov (CPRF/NPSR) 48.97% Aleksandr Tsapin (OKS) 41.02%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Kostroma Oblast	, 22 December	Valery Arbuzov	Appointed 1991	Viktor Shershunov (CPRF/NPSR) 41.72% / 64.10% Valery Arbuzov (NDR/OKS, Yabloko) 27.33% / 30.24%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Perm Oblast	, 22 December		Appointed 1996	Gennady Igumnov (OKS) 42.38% / 63.86% Sergey Levitan 26.89% / 29.08% Vladimir Ilyinykh 7.79% Yury Perkhun (CPRF) 4.89%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Ryazan Oblast	, 22 December	Igor Ivlev	Appointed 1996	(CPRF/NPSR) 38.29% / 56.06% Igor Ivlev 29.55% / 38.36% Valery Kalashnikov 14.03%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Mari El	1996, 4 January 1997		Elected 1991	Vyacheslav Kislitsyn (CPRF/NPSR) 47.37% / 58.89% Leonid Markelov (LDPR) 29.21% / 36.24% Vladislav Zotin (OKS) 9.77%		Incumbent lost election. New president elected. NPSR gain.
Sakha (Yakutia)			Elected 1991	Mikhail Nikolayev (OKS) 58.96% Artur Alexeyev (CPRF) 25.46%		Incumbent re-elected.
Krasnodar Krai (revote)			Appointed 1996	Nikolai Kondratenko (CPRF/NPSR) 82.00% Viktor Krokhmal (CHiR) 7.18% Nikolai Yegorov 4.83%... Vasily Dyakonov 1.13%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Volgograd Oblast	, 29 December		Appointed 1991	Nikolay Maksyuta (NPSR) 28.51% / 50.96% Ivan Shabunin (OKS) 37.64% / 44.15% Yury Chekhov (OKS) 25.22%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Tyumen Oblast	1996, 12 January 1997	Leonid Roketsky	Appointed 1993	(OKS) 42.01% / 58.83% Sergey Atroshenko 23.87% / 32.94% Gennady Raikov 8.45% Anatoly Cherepanov (RCWP) 8.44%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Ulyanovsk Oblast		Yury Goryachev	Appointed 1992	(supported by NDR and Yabloko) 42.48% Alexander Kruglikov (CPRF/NPSR) 33.71%... Yury Cheburov (OKS) 7.62%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Chelyabinsk Oblast			Appointed 1991	Pyotr Sumin (NPSR) 50.79% Vadim Solovyov (OKS) 15.99% Vladimir Grigoriadi 8.58% Vladimir Golovlyov (DVR) 6.49%		Incumbent lost election. New governor elected. NPSR gain.
Taymyr AO			Appointed 1991	Gennady Nedelin (OKS) 65.70% Gennady Subbotkin 11.30%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Chukotka AO			Appointed 1991	Aleksandr Nazarov (OKS) 65.18% Vladimir Yetylin 21.04%		Incumbent elected to full term.
Evenk AO		Anatoly Yakimov	Appointed 1991	Aleksandr Bokovikov (NPSR) 35.52% (OKS) 34.62% Viktor Gayulsky (NDR) 13.12%		Election results annulled.

Sources

• Book: Ivanov. Vitaly. 2019. Глава субъекта Российской Федерации. История губернаторов. Head of the subject of the Russian Federation. History of governors. Russian. 978-5-907250-14-7.

Notes and References

1. http://politika.su/vybory/rre96t.html Gubernatorial elections — 1996