“United Russia” received a constitutional majority in all legislative assemblies of the new convocation

Elections to the legislative assemblies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation ended in a confident revenge of United Russia (ER). If five years ago, in every third region where deputies were elected, the party in power failed to get a simple majority (over half of the mandates), then in 2023 it won a qualified one (more than 2/3) literally everywhere. The percentage of support for United Russia in voting on party lists has grown almost everywhere, and in the once problematic for it Irkutsk Region and the Trans-Baikal Territory, it doubled at once. It was reduced only in Kalmykia, but even there United Russia increased the number of deputies thanks to a “dry” victory in the districts.

On Monday, the Central Election Commission summed up the preliminary results of the elections of deputies to legislative assemblies of 16 “old” and four new regions of the Russian Federation. According to the commission, in all parliaments without exception “United Russia” received a qualified majority – from 68% of mandates in Khakassia to 90% in the Ivanovo and Rostov regions.

Recall that in 2018 the party in power acted much less confidently, failing to get a simple majority in the Supreme Council of Khakassia, the legislative assemblies of the Trans-Baikal Territory, Irkutsk and Ulyanovsk regions, as well as the Assembly of Deputies of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO). This time, United Russia did “work on the mistakes” and regained control over them.

In particular, in Transbaikalia United Russia doubled the result of five years ago, having received 56.9% on the lists (plus 28.6 percentage points) and increasing the total number of mandates from 22 to 42. In the Irkutsk region, United Russia also took twice as many on the lists – 54 .6% (plus 26.8 percentage points), and the total number of their mandates increased from 18 to 35. In the Ulyanovsk region, United Russia received 49.9% (plus 16 percentage points) and 27 mandates (instead of the previous 17) , in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug – 43.4% (plus 5 percentage points) and 13 mandates (instead of 9).

Khakassia turned out to be the only region where United Russia lost on the lists of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation – 36.4% against 39.1%. However, at the same time, United Russia improved its own result five years ago (plus 11 percentage points) and performed confidently in single-member districts, managing to increase the total number of seats from 20 to 34 at once.

The largest increase in the lists of United Russia showed in the Ivanovo region – by 31.3 percentage points, up to 65.4%. In 2018, the party took 15 out of 26 mandates there, in 2023 – already 27 out of 30.

The results of United Russia increased significantly in the Vladimir (plus 25.9 percentage points), Smolensk (plus 21.1 percentage points) and Arkhangelsk regions (plus 18.6 percentage points), as well as in Buryatia (plus 19. 8 p.p.). The party also increased in traditionally loyal regions, for example, in the Rostov region – up to 68.3% (plus 11.3 percentage points), in Bashkiria – up to 68.9% (plus 10.6 percentage points), in Kuzbass – up to 69.4% (plus 5 percentage points). United Russia showed the most modest growth in Yakutia, where in 2018 United Russia was supported by 50.8% of voters, and in 2023 – 54.4% (plus 3.5 percentage points). But thanks to victories in the districts, the total number of mandates for United Russia increased much more significantly – from 47 to 55.

Yakutia, by the way, became the only region where they performed brilliantly “New people”, who managed to take second place on the lists (14.3%, five mandates) and win in one of the districts. They also entered the parliaments of Bashkiria, Kalmykia, Buryatia, Irkutsk, Kemerovo and Yaroslavl regions. There were isolated successes “Communists of Russia” — in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (5.7%) and the Ulyanovsk region (7.5%), Pensioners Party — in the Vladimir (6.1%) and Yaroslavl regions (5.6%), “Motherland” — in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (5.7%). And here “A Just Russia – For the Truth” (SRZP) “flew” past the legislative assemblies of five “old” regions at once – Khakassia, Buryatia, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Smolensk and Ivanovo regions. LDPR did not overcome the barrier only in Kalmykia.

The elections in Kalmykia were the only ones where United Russia’s results on the lists decreased: in 2018 it was supported by 68.5% of voters, and in 2023 – 64.2% (minus 4.4 percentage points).

But thanks to the change in the method of forming the People’s Khural, the total number of United Russia members there still increased. In the last convocation, all 27 deputies were elected from lists and United Russia received 21 mandates. Now, only 10 deputies were elected from lists (United Russia had 6), and another 17 were elected in single-mandate constituencies, which United Russia won “outright.” As a result, the number of mandates for the United Russia increased to 23.

Also, United Russia did not give a single district to opponents in the Vladimir (25), Ivanovo (20) and Kemerovo regions (23), Trans-Baikal Territory (25) and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (8). In the Irkutsk region, United Russia lost only one constituency out of 22, losing to SRZP, in Yakutia – 2 out of 35 (to New People and a self-nominated candidate), in Khakassia – 2 out of 25 (Communist Party of the Russian Federation), in the Ulyanovsk region – 2 out of 18 (LDPR and self-nominated), in the Yaroslavl region – 2 out of 34 (“New People” and self-nominated), in the Rostov region – 3 out of 40 (LDPR, SRZP and self-nominated). In the remaining regions, the struggle in the districts was more competitive. In Bashkiria, for example, 46 out of 55 majoritarian mandates were won by United Russia members, two by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, one each by the SRZP, New People and Greens, and four more districts were won by self-nominated candidates.

The Khakass Supreme Council, as well as the Smolensk and Ivanovo regional dumas, became the only legislative assemblies where only three parties were admitted – United Russia, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the Liberal Democratic Party.

As for the parliaments of the new subjects, where voting took place for the first time and exclusively according to lists, they will all be four-party. Thus, the United Russia (78%), the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (6.4%), the Liberal Democratic Party (6.3%) and “New People” (5.1%) were elected to the People’s Council of the DPR (90 deputies). SRHR did not overcome the minimum threshold, gaining only 3.3%. As a result, the United Russia faction will consist of 74 deputies, the Communists and Liberal Democrats – six each, and the New People – four. But the United Russia (74.6%), LDPR (9.9%), Communist Party of the Russian Federation (7.5%) and SRZP (5.6%) were elected to the People’s Council of the LPR (50 deputies), while the “New People” gained only 1.5%. The party in power will control 39 seats there, the Liberal Democrats – five, the Communists – four, and the Social Revolutionaries – two.

All four parties that took part in the elections entered the Legislative Assembly of the Zaporozhye region (40 deputies), with the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the SRZP barely overcoming the minimum threshold, gaining 5.02% and 5.13%, respectively. United Russia finished with 83%, the Liberal Democrats with 5.8%. There will be 34 deputies in the ER faction, and two in all the rest. Finally, the SRZP made it into the Kherson Regional Duma (36 deputies) with a minimal result (5.03%), the rest of the parties that took part in the elections did it more confidently: United Russia – with 74.8%, Communist Party of the Russian Federation – 10.6%, LDPR – 8 .3%. United Russia will eventually have 28 mandates, the Communists will have four, the Liberal Democrats will have three, and the Socialist Revolutionaries will have one.

Andrey Prah, corset “Kommersant”