Valery Limarenko Independent
Valery Limarenko United Russia
The 2024 Sakhalin Oblast gubernatorial election took place on 6–8 September 2024, on common election day. Incumbent Governor Valery Limarenko was reelected to a second term in office.
In September 2018 Governor of Sakhalin Oblast Oleg Kozhemyako was appointed acting Governor of Primorsky Krai after a political crisis that followed the 2018 gubernatorial election and the resignation of previous acting Governor Andrey Tarasenko.[1] Vera Shcherbina, Chairwoman of the Sakhalin Oblast Government, served as acting Governor until December 2018 when Atomstroyexport president Valery Limarenko was appointed instead by President Vladimir Putin.[2]
Limarenko, despite being a member of United Russia party, ran for a full term as an Independent and faced a spirited challenge from Communist State Duma member from Primorsky Krai Aleksey Korniyenko.[3] Former State Duma member and 2015 gubernatorial runner-up Svetlana Ivanova failed to secure support from CPRF and ran as an Independent but was unable to pass the municipal filter. Limarenko won September 2019 gubernatorial election with 56.14% of the vote with Korniyenko placing second with 24.21%.[4] It was the closest gubernatorial election that cycle.
In April 2024 during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin Governor Limarenko announced his intention to run for a second term and received Putin's endorsement.[5]
In Sakhalin Oblast candidates for Governor can be nominated by registered political parties or by self-nomination. Candidate for Governor of Sakhalin 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 10% of signatures of members and heads of municipalities.[6] In addition, self-nominated candidates should collect 0.5% of signatures of Sakhalin Oblast residents. Also gubernatorial candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.
Governor Limarenko re-appointed incumbent Senator Grigory Karasin (Independent) to the Federation Council.[16]