| Campaigned For: | 2008 Russian presidential election |
| Candidate: | Dmitry Medvedev |
| Affiliation: | United Russia |
The 2008 presidential campaign of Dmitry Medvedev was the successful campaign of Dmitry Medvedev in the 2008 Russian presidential election.
Vladimir Putin was constitutionally ineligible to run for a third-consecutive term in 2008.[1] A popular figure in Russia, speculation rested on whom Putin might tap to be his "chosen successor".[1]
In September 2007 Putin dismissed Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, who had previously been speculated as a potential successor to him. He then appointed Viktor Zubkov to replace Fradkov as Prime Minister, igniting immediate speculation that Putin was grooming Zubkov to serve as his presidential successor.[1]
On October 1, 2007, Putin announced that he would run for parliament at the head of United Russia's ticket in the 2007 legislative election.[1]
On December 10, 2007, roughly a week after United Russia handily won the legislative election, Putin announced that his hand-picked candidate to succeed him as president would be Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.[1] The following day Medvedev announced that, if elected president, he would nominate Putin to serve as his Prime Minister.[1]
Soon after Putin tapped Medvedev as his chosen successor, the leaders of United Russia, A Just Russia, Civic Force, and the Agrarian Party of Russia all affirmed their support of Medvedev's candidacy.[1]
Medvedev ultimately prevailed in the election facing no strong challenge.[2]