We have our first officially registered candidate for the upcoming State Duma elections on September 18th. Ironically enough, this is our sole party-of-power candidate – former United Russia man, journalist, teacher and Naberezhnye Chelny council deputy Ruzil Mingalimov.

Few believed he’d even reach the registration stage. And now, according to our information, he has become the first People’s Freedom Party candidate to have received official verification.

The rest of the Open Elections team expects to be registered in the immediate future. We’re hoping that, come early August, they’ll all be conducting their respective campaigns under their new status.