Leonid Markelov
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Leonid Igorevich Markelov (Леонид Игоревич Маркелов) (born 1963) is the President of the Mari El republic in Russia. He took office on January 14, 2001. Markelov was elected in December 2000 in one of the most contentious elections that occurred in the period between 1991 and 2005 when leaders of Russian administrative divisions were directly elected. In the first round, Markelov became slightly ahead of incumbent Vyacheslav Kislitsyn with Markelov receiving 29% and Kislitsyn receiving 25% in a field of several other candidates. In the runoff two weeks later, Markelov was elected with 59% of the vote. In most Russian administrative division elections, one candidate achieved a landslide victory. In 1996, Markelov had been defeated by Kislitsyn, receiving 38% of the vote. Markelov was elected to a second 4-year term in 2004, receiving 56% of the vote.