Russian Elections Bode Well for Putin's Party

Victories in regional and local elections Oct. 14 for Russian President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party represent a possible resurgence of public support for the party. Stratfor typically does not emphasize the results of low-level elections, particularly in Russia, but these elections were an important test of Putin's and United Russia's standing among the Russian people after nearly a year of increasing anti-Kremlin sentiment. 

Preliminary results from the approximately 4,900 regional and municipal elections and local referendums show that Putin's party won in every major region and in a few hotly contested mayoral elections, despite indications prior to the election that opposition candidates may have been poised to win in many key districts.