## Samara Oblast Governor Samara Election Results **Samara Oblast Governor Election Results: Samara Oblast Governor Samara Election Results: Dmitry Azarov Wins** The September 9, 2021 gubernatorial elections in Samara Oblast and 11 other Russian regions have ended. The incumbent Governor Dmitry Azarov was reelected with 79.26% of the vote. His closest rival, Mikhail Matveyev, candidate from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, received only 12.34% of the vote. Turnout was a dismal 39.44%, continuing an downward trend. ** Samara Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. The Oblast's administrative center is the city of Samara. The Oblast's current Governor, Dmitry Azarov, is a member of the United Russia party, who was appointed as acting Governor in 2017 and was then elected for his first full term later that year.** **Dmitry Azarov has been the governor of Samara Oblast since 2017. He is a member of the United Russia party. In the 2021 gubernatorial election, he was reelected with 79.26% of the vote. His closest rival, Mikhail Matveyev, candidate from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, received only 12.34% of the vote. Turnout was a dismal 39.44%, marking the lowest gubernatorial turnout since the 2015 Samara Oblast gubernatorial election.** **The low voter turnout is cause for concern:** voter turnout in gubernatorial elections in 2021 decreased compared to the 2018 gubernatorial elections in 14 out of 18 regions. Only the Bryansk, Kaluga, Rostov, Sakhalin, Tomsk, Tyumen, and Yaroslavl regions saw higher numbers. Samara Oblast's 39.44% turnout was lower than that of the 2017 Samara Oblast gubernatorial election, which saw a 48.42% voter turnout. In addition, Samara Oblast's voter turnout was below the national average of 42.66%. **Apathy toward the incumbent and the lack of a strong opposition candidate are likely the primary causes for the low voter turnout in the Samara Oblast gubernatorial elections.** **Incumbent Governor Dmitry Azarov was appointed Acting Governor by Presidential Decree on October 25, 2017 following the resignation of Nikolay Merkushkin, who had held the post since 2007.** **Azarov quickly consolidated his power base by appointing his own people to key positions in the Samara Oblast government.** **Azarov also took steps to improve the Oblast's economy, which had been struggling in recent years.** **Under Azarov's leadership, the Oblast's GDP grew by 2.5% in 2018 and 3.1% in 2019.** **However, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the Oblast's economy, with GDP declining by 3.5% in 2020.** **Despite the economic challenges, Azarov remains a popular figure in Samara Oblast.** **He is seen as a strong leader who is committed to improving the lives of the Oblast's residents.** **Azarov's popularity is likely to help him win re-election in the 2021 gubernatorial elections.**
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