2015 Gagauzian gubernatorial election

In 2014, before running for governor, Irina Vlah left the Communist faction in Parliament, protesting that the party's national leadership was betraying pro-Russian voters.[3] She was also one of the initiators of a movement that led to the 2015 referendum for Gagauzia to join the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union.[4] During the 2015 campaign Russian celebrities and deputies of the Russian State Duma publicly backed Vlah; in response the Moldovan government accused Russia of meddling in the election and threatened to ban those involved from entering the country.[5] Ukraine reinforced its western border adjacent to Gagauzia upon the victory of Vlah, a pro-Russian candidate, only a year after the annexation of Crimea and amidst the ongoing war against Russian-backed forces in its eastern provinces.[6]

Vlah herself claimed that she faced opposition due to her status as the only female gubernatorial candidate, and that her electoral triumph represented a victory against "patriarchal stereotypes".[7]

All candidates ran as independents. However, Vlah ran with the support of the Party of Socialists. Valerii Ianioglo was supported by United Gagauzia, whilst Nicolai Dudoglo was backed by the Democratic Party, the Equality Movement and New Gagauzia.[8]

Two candidates, Serghei Buzadji and Oleg Caici, withdrew from the elections. Buzadji subsequently gave his support to Vlah, whilst Caici supported Dudoglo.[8]