Alexander Shuvaev secured the Belgorod Oblast governorship through his May 2026 appointment as acting governor by President Putin following Vyacheslav Gladkov’s resignation, combined with United Russia endorsement and a strong performance in the September 18–20 election. Official results after full protocol processing showed him receiving 65.97% of votes, well ahead of LDPR’s Yevgeny Dryomov, CPRF’s Valery Shevlyakov, and smaller shares for the remaining candidates. Traders assign near-certainty to Shuvaev based on this confirmed outcome, his local origins, military record including Hero of Russia status, and the party’s regional organizational strength. Late legal challenges, recounts, or certification disputes remain theoretically possible but face high procedural barriers given the margin and standard Russian regional election timelines.