| Election Name: | 2021 Penza Oblast gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Penza Oblast |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2020 Penza Oblast gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 2020 |
| Next Election: | 2026 Penza Oblast gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 2026 |
| Election Date: | 17–19 September 2021 |
| Turnout: | 56.96% |
| Candidate1: | Oleg Melnichenko |
| Party1: | United Russia |
| Popular Vote1: | 428,868 |
| Percentage1: | 72.38% |
| Candidate2: | Oleg Shalyapin |
| Party2: | Communist Party of the Russian Federation |
| Popular Vote2: | 73,153 |
| Percentage2: | 12.35% |
| Image4: | SR-ZP |
| Candidate4: | Aleksey Shpagin |
| Party4: | SR-ZP |
| Popular Vote4: | 33,714 |
| Percentage4: | 5.69% |
| Image5: | LDPR |
| Candidate5: | Aleksandr Vasilyev |
| Party5: | Liberal Democratic Party of Russia |
| Popular Vote5: | 33,593 |
| Percentage5: | 5.67% |
| Map Size: | 250px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Oleg Melnichenko |
| Before Party: | United Russia |
| After Party: | United Russia |
| After Election: | Oleg Melnichenko |
The 2021 Penza Oblast gubernatorial election took place on 17–19 September 2021, on common election day, coinciding with election to the State Duma. Acting Governor Oleg Melnichenko was elected for his first term.[1]
Governor Ivan Belozertsev in 2020 won re-election to his second term with 78.72% of the vote.[2] On 21 March 2021, less than a year after the election, Governor Belozertsev was arrested, he was charged with accepting a ₽31 million ($0.4 million) bribe from former Senator from Penza Oblast (2003-2013) and pharmaceutical executive Boris Shpigel.[3] Simultaneously, Investigative Committee announced that they had found facts of electoral fraud during 2020 gubernatorial election.[4] On 26 March President Vladimir Putin fired Belozertsev for the "loss of trust" and appointed Senator Oleg Melnichenko as acting Governor of Penza Oblast.[5] Melnichenko previously served in the Government of Penza Oblast in 2007-2009 as Minister of Education and Science, Vice Governor and Deputy Head of Government, and as Deputy Presidential Envoy to the Volga Federal District (2013-2017).[6]
Only political parties can nominate candidates for gubernatorial election in Penza Oblast, self-nomination is not possible. However, candidate is not obliged to be a member of the nominating party. Candidate for Governor of Penza Oblast 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 253 signatures of members and heads of municipalities.[7] Also gubernatorial candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.
|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;"! style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| Candidate! style="text-align:left;"| Party! width="75"|Votes! width="30"|%|-| style="background-color:;"|| style="text-align:left;"| Oleg Melnichenko (incumbent)| style="text-align:left;"| United Russia| 428,868| 72.38|-| style="background-color:;"|| style="text-align:left;"| Oleg Shalyapin| style="text-align:left;"| Communist Party| 73,153| 12.35|-| style="background-color:;"|| style="text-align:left;"| Aleksey Shpagin| style="text-align:left;"| A Just Russia — For Truth| 33,714| 5.69|-| style="background-color:;"|| style="text-align:left;"| Aleksandr Vasilyev| style="text-align:left;"| Liberal Democratic Party| 33,593| 5.67|-| style="background-color:|| style="text-align:left;"| Pyotr Chugay| style="text-align:left;"| Party of Pensioners| 13,650| 2.30|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Valid votes| 582,978| 98.39|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Blank ballots| 9,540| 1.61|- style="font-weight:bold"| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Total| 592,518| 100.00|-| style="background-color:#E9E9E9;" colspan="6"||-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Turnout| 592,518| 56.96|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Registered voters| 1,040,202| 100.00|-| colspan="5" style="background-color:#E9E9E9;"||- style="font-weight:bold"| colspan="4" |Source:|[11] |}
Incumbent Senator Maria Lvova-Belova (United Russia) was re-appointed to the Federation Council.[12]