In September, 16 legislative assemblies are elected, and the powers of their representatives in the Federation Council expire at the same time. According to the new procedure for its formation, they must be elected to the legislative assembly in order to be re-confirmed. But before becoming a deputy, you must become a candidate, and their party will determine them based on the results of the primaries that have already started, says Konstantin Mazurevsky, First Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of United Russia. They will have to actively work with voters after the preliminary vote as well – the results of opinion polls will be an important factor in their nomination, he adds.

Fifteen senators will decide whether to participate in the triple test: Svetlana Orlova, a representative of Kemerovo, has been appointed acting governor. Most of her colleagues are also United Russia members. The party's website does not list among its ranks only representatives of the Arkhangelsk Region and Kalmykia: retired Interior Ministry General Vladimir Rushailo and former Moscow banker Alexei Mayorov. The latter's assistant said that he would decide in early April after consultations with the khural. Rudik Iskuzhin from Bashkiria (a former classmate of Vladimir Putin) has not yet decided on his plans: according to him, it is too early to raise the question of elections - it will be decided by mid-April.

Evgeny Serebrennikov (Khakassia), Konstantin Surkov (Zabaikalsky Krai), Yuri Smirnov (Ivanovo Region) confirmed their intention to participate in the primaries to Vedomosti. And Anatoly Lisitsyn (Yaroslavl Region) has been actively speaking at various venues and in debates since the end of March. The former governor had previously expressed his readiness to run in the elections as a single-mandate candidate, while the rest will most likely run on party lists, according to a source in the party.

Senator Leonid Tyagachev from Rostov Oblast also expressed a desire to continue working in the Federation Council. He will participate in all intra-party events. "But now we are waiting for the start of the primaries, the deadline for accepting applications has been extended until April 15," says Tyagachev's assistant Konstantin Vasiltsov. According to him, since these will be "double elections" (first to the Legislative Assembly, and then in the Assembly itself), Tyagachev's prospects of becoming a senator can be assessed no earlier than summer, his assistant notes.

Senators have to restructure, states political scientist Evgeny Minchenko: the fight for a seat is tied to the elections to the Legislative Assembly, which has increased the level of competition (for example, many candidates have appeared in the Irkutsk Region), public attention has increased, and campaigns against specific senators have begun. And because of the planned ban on foreign assets, interest in big business has decreased, the expert adds.

Senators head to United Russia primaries