Regional election in Moscow, Russia
The 2024 Moscow City Duma election took place on 6–8 September 2024, on common election day. All 45 seats in the City Duma were up for reelection.
United Russia won a resounding victory in the election, winning 38 seats and doubling its faction, after standing its candidates as Independents last cycle. Other parties represented in the Moscow City Duma, including Communist Party of the Russian Federation and A Just Russia – For Truth, suffered heavy losses with Yabloko losing its entire four-member delegation after failing to collect enough signatures for any of its candidates (including two incumbents). New People entered the Duma for the first time with a single deputy. While Liberal Democratic Party of Russia failed to win any seat on their own, two LDPR-aligned Independents got elected (although both were members of United Russia at the time of the election).
Background.
The 2019 Moscow City Duma election was marked by mass protests in the city, sparked by the disqualification of several candidates allied to Aleksey Navalny, Dmitry Gudkov, Yabloko or local citizen movements. The subsequent backlash and Smart Voting tactic, proposed by Navalny's Team, resulted in Mayor Sergey Sobyanin-backed Independents winning a slim majority of just 25 seats in the 45-member Moscow City Duma and losing the popular vote to CPRF (although in at least three constituencies Mayoral Office backed Communist candidates). Pro-government forces in the City Duma established two factions – United Russia (19 members) and My Moscow (5 members), while opposition was represented by Communist Party (13 members), Yabloko (4 members) and A Just Russia (3 members).
The first change in the Duma composition occurred in August 2020, when Communist Vice Speaker Nikolay Gubenko from District 37 died after struggling with illness. In October 2020 another Communist member, Oleg Sheremetyev of District 19, left the chamber as he was expelled after being found guilty of fraud. Both vacant seats were filled in the 2021 by-elections: pediatrician and municipal deputy Yelena Kats flipped District 19 for United Russia, and former State Duma member Vladimir Ryzhkov – District 37 for Yabloko. Ryzhkov, however, left Russia in summer 2022 and officially resigned from the Duma in late January 2024, leaving his seat vacant until the next convocation.
In March 2021 deputies Yelena Shuvalova (District 44) and Dmitry Loktev (District 2) were expelled from the CPRF faction in the City Duma for "systematically discrediting the faction". Shuvalova was previously expelled from the party in June 2020 for regular insubordination, including failure to pay party fees, challenging faction leader Nikolay Zubrilin, and collaboration with liberal opposition, while Loktev was removed in February 2021 for voting against city budget. A third Communist deputy, Yevgeny Stupin (District 20), was expelled from the party in March 2023, a month later he was sacked from the faction and later left Russia. Three Moscow City Duma members were also declared foreign agents by the Ministry of Justice: Darya Besedina (Yabloko) in January 2023, Yevgeny Stupin (CPRF) and Mikhail Timonov (A Just Russia) in June 2023. On May 8, 2024 during the second to last 7th Moscow City Duma session Stupin was expelled for truancy after leaving Russia in September 2023 and failing to attend any Duma session since. On May 15, 2024 President Vladimir Putin signed a law, which prohibits foreign agents to run in any elections in Russia until the status of foreign agents is revoked. For current Moscow City Duma deputies it only applied to Timonov, who had not publicly announced his intentions, as Besedina had already decided to retire, while Stupin was expelled.
With the last Moscow redistricting occurring in 2014, a new Moscow City Duma map should be enacted for the 2024 election. In late December 2023 a new district map was proposed and later enacted by the Moscow City Duma. The new map was heavily criticised as gerrymandered by the deputies themselves, especially considering that under the enacted map districts of Sergey Mitrokhin, Mikhail Timonov, Yekaterina Yengalycheva and Lyubov Nikitina were virtually eliminated.
Electoral system.
Under current election laws, the City Duma is elected for a term of five years by first-past-the-post voting in 45 constituencies. Currently Moscow is the only federal subject of Russia using full majoritarian system to elect members of the regional legislature.
Candidates.
45 single-mandate constituencies were formed in Moscow. To register candidates in single-mandate constituencies need to collect 3% of signatures of registered voters in the constituency.
The following parties were relieved from the necessity to collect signatures:
New People took part in the regularly scheduled Moscow legislative election for the first time, while United Russia would return after not standing its candidates last cycle. Rodina and Civilian Power, who participated in the last election, did not file their candidates, while Party of Growth, National Course, People's Alliance, Revival of Agrarian Russia and Party of the Parents of Future had been dissolved prior. As all Yabloko candidates, including two incumbent Moscow City Duma members, failed to collect the sufficient number of signatures, the party was slated to lose its entire four-member faction.
Summary of the results.
Aleksey Shaposhnikov (United Russia) was re-elected as Chairman of the City Duma, while incumbent Senator and Deputy Chairwoman of the Federation Council Inna Svyatenko (United Russia) was re-appointed to the Federation Council.
District breakdown.
District 1.
The 1st district covers all of Zelenograd. Incumbent deputy Andrey Titov (United Russia) won re-election a second term in office.
District 2.
The 2nd district covers outer parts of North-Western and Northern Moscow, including Kurkino, Molzhaninovsky, parts of Mitino and Severnoye Tushino. Incumbent deputy Dmitry Loktev (Independent) declined to seek a second term in office and was succeeded by Olympic biathlete Olga Zaitseva (United Russia).
District 3.
The 3rd district covers parts of North-Western Moscow, including Yuzhnoye Tushino, parts of Mitino, Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo and Severnoye Tushino. Incumbent deputy Aleksandr Solovyov (SR–ZP) declined to seek a second term in office and was succeeded by cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov (United Russia).
District 4.
The 4th district covers parts of North-Western and Northern Moscow, including Shchukino, Strogino, parts of Kuntsevo and Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo. Incumbent deputy Mariya Kiselyova (My Moscow) won re-election a second term in office as a United Russia candidate.
District 5.
The 5th district covers outer parts of Northern Moscow, including Golovinsky, Khovrino, Levoberezhny and part of Zapadnoye Degunino. Incumbent deputy Yevgeny Bunimovich (Yabloko) declined to seek a fifth non-consecutive term in office and was succeeded by Russian Army Theatre director Milena Avimskaya (United Russia).
District 6.
The 6th district covers outer parts of Northern Moscow, including Dmitrovsky, Vostochnoye Degunino, parts of Beskudnikovsky and Zapadnoye Degunino. Incumbent deputy Nadezhda Perfilova (United Russia) won re-election to a third term in office.
District 7.
The 7th district covers parts of Northern Moscow, including Aeroport, Koptevo, Sokol, Voykovsky and part of Khoroshyovsky. Incumbent deputy Darya Besedina (Yabloko) declined to seek a second term in office and was later barred from seeking re-election due to her foreign agent status, she was succeeded by patriotic education centre director Darya Borisova (United Russia).
District 8.
The 8th district covers inner parts of Northern Moscow, including Begovoy, Savyolovsky, Timiryazevsky, parts of Beskudnikovsky and Khoroshyovsky. Incumbent deputy and Duma Deputy Chairman Andrey Medvedev (Independent) was re-elected to a second term in office as a United Russia candidate.
District 9.
The 9th district covers outer parts of North-Eastern Moscow, including Bibirevo, Lianozovo and Severny. Incumbent deputy Larisa Kartavtseva (United Russia) won re-election to a third term in office.
District 10.
The 10th district covers parts of North-Eastern Moscow, including Altufyevsky, Marfino and Otradnoye. Incumbent deputy and CPRF faction leader Nikolay Zubrilin won re-election to a third term in office.
District 11.
The 11th district covers outer parts of North-Eastern Moscow, including Severnoye Medvedkovo, Sviblovo and Yuzhnoye Medvedkovo. Incumbent deputy and Duma Chairman Aleksey Shaposhnikov (United Russia) was re-elected to a third term in office.
District 12.
The 12th district covers outer parts of North-Eastern Moscow, including Babushkinsky, Losinoostrovsky and Yaroslavsky. Incumbent deputy Igor Buskin (United Russia) declined to seek a second term in office and was succeeded by former State Duma member Aleksey Lisovenko (United Russia).
District 13.
The 13th district covers inner parts of North-Eastern Moscow, including Alekseyevsky, Butyrsky, Maryina Roshcha, Ostankinsky and Rostokino. Incumbent first-term deputy and Yabloko faction leader Maksim Kruglov failed to qualify by collecting signatures and was succeeded by Severnoye Medvedkovo District head Aleksandr Sapronov (United Russia).
District 14.
The 14th district covers parts of Eastern Moscow, including Bogorodskoye, Metrogorodok, Sokolniki and part of Golyanovo. Incumbent deputy Mikhail Timonov (SR–ZP) was barred from seeking reelection due to his foreign agent status and was succeeded by community activist Sabina Tsvetkova (United Russia).
District 15.
The 15th district covers parts of Eastern Moscow, including Preobrazhenskoye, Severnoye Izmaylovo and parts of Golyanovo. Incumbent deputy Sergey Savostyanov (CPRF) was deselected at the party convention and was succeeded by Moscow Railway deputy chief Pyotr Potapov (Independent).
District 16.
The 16th district covers parts of Eastern Moscow, including Perovo, Sokolinaya Gora and parts of Novogireyevo. Incumbent deputy Viktor Maksimov (CPRF) was deselected at the party convention and ran for a second term as an Independent but lost to former Legislative Assembly of Kemerovo Oblast member Yelena Yamshchikova (SR–ZP).
District 17.
The 17th district covers parts of Eastern Moscow, including Ivanovskoye, Izmaylovo and Vostochnoye Izmaylovo. Incumbent deputy Yelena Yanchuk (CPRF) was deselected at the party convention and was succeeded by former Ivanovo Oblast Duma deputy chairman Vyacheslav Arbuzov (CPRF).
District 18.
The 18th district covers parts of Eastern Moscow, including Novokosino, Vostochny, parts of Novogireyevo and Veshnyaki. Incumbent deputy Yelena Kats (United Russia) declined to seek a second term in office and was succeeded by former city government official Lyudmila Mitryuk (United Russia).
District 19.
The 19th district covers outer parts of Eastern and South-Eastern Moscow, including Kosino-Ukhtomsky, Nekrasovka, parts of Veshnyaki and Vykhino-Zhulebino. Incumbent deputy Yevgeny Stupin (Independent) was expelled in May 2024 and was succeeded by school principal Maya Bulayeva (United Russia).
District 20.
The 20th district covers outer parts of South-Eastern Moscow, including Kapotnya, parts of Lyublino, Maryino and Vykhino-Zhulebino. Incumbent deputy Leonid Zyuganov (CPRF) was re-elected to a third term in office.
District 21.
The 21st district covers most of Maryino in South-Eastern Moscow. Incumbent deputy and Senator Inna Svyatenko (United Russia) was re-elected to a sixth term in office.
District 22.
The 22nd district covers parts of South-Eastern Moscow, including Kuzminki and part of Lyublino. Incumbent deputy and My Moscow faction leader Yelena Nikolayeva declined to seek a second term in office and was succeeded by United Russia official Maksim Rudnev.
District 23.
The 23rd district covers inner parts of South-Eastern Moscow, including Lefortovo, Nizhegorodsky and Ryazansky. Incumbent first-term deputy Pavel Tarasov (CPRF) was disqualified after registration due to his 2023 administrative conviction and was succeeded by retired Guards Colonel Arkady Korolkov (United Russia).
District 24.
The 24th district covers parts of South-Eastern Moscow, including Pechatniki, Tekstilshchiki and Yuzhnoportovy. Incumbent deputy Lyudmila Stebenkova (United Russia) was re-elected to an eighth term in office.
District 25.
The 25th district covers outer parts of Southern Moscow, including Brateyevo, Zyablikovo and part of Moskvorechye-Saburovo. Incumbent deputy Kirill Shchitov (United Russia) declined to seek a fourth term in office and was succeeded by City Housing Inspection deputy head Yevgeny Selivyorstov (United Russia).
District 26.
The 26th district covers outer parts of Southern Moscow, including Orekhovo-Borisovo Severnoye and Orekhovo-Borisovo Yuzhnoye. Incumbent deputy, Duma Deputy Chairman and United Russia faction leader Stepan Orlov was re-elected to a seventh term in office.
District 27.
The 27th district covers parts of Southern Moscow, including Nagatinsky Zaton, Tsaritsyno and part of Moskvorechye-Saburovo. Incumbent deputy Yelena Samyshina (United Russia) unsuccessfully ran in the 44th district, while former Moscow Fairs director Aleksandr Likhanov (United Russia) won this seat.
District 28.
The 28th district covers outer parts of Southern Moscow, including Biryulyovo Vostochnoye, Biryulyovo Zapadnoye and part of Chertanovo Yuzhnoye. Incumbent deputy Oleg Artemyev (United Russia) was re-elected to a second term in office.
District 29.
The 29th district covers parts of Southern Moscow, including Chertanovo Severnoye, Chertanovo Tsentralnoye and part of Chertanovo Yuzhnoye. After redistricting the seat has two incumbents: Margarita Rusetskaya (United Russia) and Lyubov Nikitina (CPRF). Rusetskaya decided to retire, while Nikitina sought a second term in office and lost re-election to businessman Aleksey Kuchmin (United Russia).
District 30.
The 30th district covers inner parts of Southern Moscow, including Danilovsky, Donskoy, Nagatino-Sadovniki and Nagorny. Incumbent deputy Olga Melnikova (United Russia) won re-election to a second term in office.
District 31.
The 31st district covers Yuzhnoye Butovo in South-Western Moscow and part of Shcherbinka in New Moscow. Incumbent deputy Lyudmila Guseva (United Russia) won re-election to a third term in office.
District 32.
The 32nd district covers outer parts of South-Western Moscow, including Severnoye Butovo and Yasenevo. Incumbent deputy Aleksandr Semennikov (United Russia) won re-election to a