Saga Governor Yamaguchi Re-elected to 2nd Term

December 17, 2018

Saga- Saga Governor Yoshinori Yamaguchi was elected to a second straight four-year term on Sunday, defeating his sole contender.

Yamaguchi, a 53-year-old independent supported by the ruling coalition of Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, beat Masato Imada, a 72-year-old independent backed by the Japanese Communist Party.

Yamaguchi collected 199,670 votes, against 36,174 votes for Imada.

In the election, Yamaguchi was recommended by more than 260 organizations including in the agricultural, economic and construction sectors.

He received support from a broad spectrum of voters by highlighting his achievements in the first term, including stepped-up aid for child care, and pledging to strengthen welfare policy measures and revitalize agriculture.

Imada opposed the Ground Self-Defense Force's deployment of Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft at Saga Airport and called for decommissioning the reactors of Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s <9508> Genkai nuclear power plant. But he failed to garner wide voter support. Jiji Press