Communist Party of the Russian Federation

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation, or the CPRF, is the continuation of the Soviet Communist Party of the Russian SFSR. They represent the main opposition to Putin, calling for a new socialism in the 21st century, carried out peacefully. They appeal to a voter base of older former soviet citizens and the left wing within Russia. However, despite their opposition party status, they are in lockstep with Putin on the only domestic issue that is important in this election: The Ukraine War. While a few CPRF lawmakers have expressed opposition, the party itself has endorsed the war and rallied against the “neo-nazis” in Ukraine. They are separating themselves from United Russia by running on issues such as repealing the internet blackouts that have become common since the war started. They are projected to win the second-most seats in the State Duma; however, the number will be minuscule compared to United Russia's seat count. They also have lost a key part of their gains from 2021, which came from Alexei Navalny’s Smart Voting Strategy that helped push protest votes their way.