| Election Name: | 2004–05 Russian gubernatorial elections |
| Country: | Russia |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2003 Russian gubernatorial elections |
| Previous Year: | 2003 |
| Election Date: | 14 March 2004 – 6 February 2005 |
| Next Election: | 2012 Russian gubernatorial elections |
| Next Year: | 2012 |
| Seats For Election: | 25 Heads of Federal Subjects from 89 |
| Map Size: | 300px |
Gubernatorial elections in 2004 and 2005 were held in 25 federal subjects of Russia. In several regions these elections were moved from end of 2004 to March 14 to combine with the 2004 Russian presidential election.
On 12 December 2004, at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, gubernatorial elections were abolished throughout the country. These were the last gubernatorial elections in Russia until September 2012.
| Federal Subject | Date | Incumbent | First elected | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 March | 2000 |
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| 14 March, 4 April | 1996 |
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| Krasnodar Krai[1] | 14 March | 2000 |
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| 14 & 28 March | 1996 |
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| 14 March | 2000 |
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| 14 March | 2000 |
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| 14 March | 1996 |
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| 14 & 28 March | 1996 |
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| 14 March | 1996 |
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| 14 March, 4 April | 2000 |
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| 29 August | — | Alu Alkhanov (UR) 73.67% | ||||
| 14 November, 5 December | 1996 |
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| 14 November | 1996 |
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| 28 November, 19 December | 1996 |
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| 5 December | — |
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| 5 & 19 December | Yury Lodkin | 1993 |
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| 5 & 26 December | 1996 |
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| 5 & 19 December | 2000 |
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| 5 & 26 December | — |
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| 19 December | 2000 |
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| 19 December | 1996 |
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| 26 December | 1996 |
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| 23 January, 6 February | Vladimir Butov | 1996 |
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Governor of Bryansk Oblast Yury Lodkin was going on his third term in 2004 (fourth if 1993–96 tenure as Head of Administration counted), but was removed from registration "for abuse of office". The application to the regional court was submitted by the candidate from the People's Party Alexander Zhdanov. Lodkin, considered one of the favorites of the campaign, linked his removing from ballot with his Communist Party membership. He accused the United Russia party of “unwillingness to win legally”.[3]
The elections were set up by the regional court on 19 September 2004,[4] after the court recognized that the 5-year term limit, introduced into the Samara Oblast Charter during the 2000 elections, can come into force only after next elections and that Konstantin Titov's term expired on July 2. However, the elections were later canceled by the Supreme Court at the suit of the Central Election Commission.
Gubernatorial elections in Nenets Autonomous Okrug were held on 23 January 2005, the second round was held on February 6. Incumbent governor, in office from 1996, could not be nominated due to the two-term limit (the Supreme Court of Russia overturned regional act passed shortly before the elections that allowed Butov to run for a third term). In addition he was convicted for beating a traffic police officer.[5]
Candidates included:[6]
On 18 February 2005, Alexey Barinov officially took office. In May 2006 he was arrested on charges of committing fraud.[7] On June 2 of the same year, President Vladimir Putin removed Barinov from the governorship and appointed the chief federal inspector for the region, Valery Potapenko as the interim governor of NAO. Later, in 2007, Barinov was acquitted.[8]