People counting votes for the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election at the LDP Gunma prefectural headquarters in Otemachi, Maebashi City.
In the presidential election of the Liberal Democratic Party held on the 27th, the counting of votes from party members and friends was conducted at the party’s prefectural headquarters in Gunma and Tochigi. In Gunma, Shigeru Ishiba, who was elected as the new president, garnered the most votes, while in Tochigi, Toshimitsu Motegi, elected from the local area, received the highest votes.
◆Gunma Prefecture: “Regain the trust of the people”
In the prefecture’s party member and friend voting, Shigeru Ishiba received the most votes with over 30%.
The counting of party member and friend votes was conducted at the LDP Gunma prefectural headquarters in Otemachi, Maebashi City. According to the prefectural headquarters, the vote counts were as follows: Ishiba received 5,212 votes, Sanae Takaichi received 3,732 votes, Shinjiro Koizumi received 2,430 votes, Toshimitsu Motegi received 2,007 votes, Takayuki Kobayashi received 1,753 votes, Yoshimasa Hayashi received 625 votes, Yoko Kamikawa received 462 votes, Taro Kono received 376 votes, and Katsunobu Kato received 101 votes.
The number of eligible voters in the prefecture was 26,730. The number of votes cast was 16,751, resulting in a voter turnout of 62.67%, which was lower than the previous turnout of 65.69% in September 2021.
Regarding the newly elected president Ishiba, Governor Ichita Yamamoto stated at the regular press conference on the same day, “I hope he will regain the trust of the people and stabilize the administration.” Although he had supported Kono, he expressed regret, saying, “I’m sorry that the votes did not increase even in the prefecture.”
About the leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Yoshihiko Noda, he commented, “Politics needs a sense of tension, and the opposition needs to have a voice. He could be someone who doesn’t evoke rejection among conservatives and could potentially be a strong rival for the LDP.” (Kazutaka Hamamoto)
◆Tochigi Prefecture: “Proactively address population decline”
In the voting by party members and friends in the prefecture (with 13,224 valid votes), Toshimitsu Motegi (the prefectural chairman and a resident of Ashikaga City), representing House of Representatives District 5 in Tochigi, received the highest votes with 7,224. His vote rate was over half at 54.6%.
In the runoff election, Shigeru Ishiba and Sanae Takaichi secured 2nd and 3rd places respectively, with 2,048 votes and 1,961 votes. The 4th place was taken by Shinjiro Koizumi with 1,422 votes, followed by Yoko Kamikawa with 163 votes, Takayuki Kobayashi with 154 votes, and Yoshimasa Hayashi with 108 votes, showcasing a significant gap.
Following the birth of the new president Ishiba, Governor Tomiichi Fukuda, who is expected to receive the LDP’s endorsement in the upcoming governor’s election in November, issued a statement expressing his expectations for “proactive efforts in addressing population decline and revitalizing the local economy.”
The prefectural headquarters mailed voting ballots to a total of 18,555 party members and friends in the lead-up to the presidential election. On the day of the election, the counting commenced at the headquarters in Utsunomiya City at 10 AM.
The voter turnout was 71.51%, approximately 3.2 points higher than the last election three years ago. (Yasuhiro Muto)