In October 2018 two-term incumbent
Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan radiy Khamitov announced his resignation for personal reasons.
President Vladimir Putin approved Khamitov's resignation and appointed
Krasnogorsk Mayor
Radiy Khabirov new acting Head of Bashkortostan. Khabirov previously served as chief of staff to former Bashkir President
Murtaza Rakhimov in 2003–2008 and then left the republic to work for the
Presidential Administration of Russia. Khabirov ran for a full term as
United Russia candidate and easily won the
2019 election with 82.02% of the vote. His nearest challenger,
State Assembly member
Yunir Kutluguzhin (
CPRF), received only 6.89%, while the remaining six candidates split the rest of 10.17% combined. Early in his term Khabirov faced large-scale ecological protests in August 2020, when activists opposed limestone mining at the protected mountain
Kushtau. Up to a 3,000 people participated in the protests at the site, which ultimately resulted in mining cessation and protected status for Kushtau. Another round of demonstration occurred in
January 2024 in
Baymak and
Ufa when around 5,000–10,000 people protested the imprisonment of activist
Fail Alsynov, who was among leaders of the Kushtau unrest. Despite ecological protests and presumable conflict with the clan of former President Rakhimov, Khabirov was attributed with industrial growth and attraction of investments into the republic. Under Khabirov's leadership Bashkortostan also became one of few regions, where
United Russia improved its result in the
2021 Russian legislative election (up 10 points compared to the
2016 election). Khabirov also led United Russia list in the
2023 State Assembly election, where the ruling party received 68.92% of the vote, improving its previous result by 10.6 points and gaining 8 more seats. In April 2024 during a meeting with
President Vladimir Putin Head Khabirov announced his intention to run for a second term and received Putin's endorsement. ==Candidates==