Shport previously served as Deputy Chairman of the Government of Khabarovsk Krai - Minister of Industry, Transportation, and Communications (since 2009) and Member of the State Duma (2000-2007).

Vyacheslav Shport won 2013 election with 63.92% of the vote, State Duma member Sergei Furgal (LDPR) came second with 19.14%.

Five candidates were registered to participate in the election[4] In an upset State Duma member Sergei Furgal defeated incumbent Governor Vyacheslav Shport in the first round of voting by a slim margin of 0.19 points.

Shport and Head of Khakassia Viktor Zimin were the first sitting governors who lost the first round since the re-introduction of gubernatorial elections in 2012.

[7] Governor Shport tried to quickly solve problems, for example, sacking Komsomolsk-on-Amur mayor Andrey Klimov for his ineffective work.