Denny Tamaki Wins Okinawa Re-Election Bid Beating LDP Candidate

Independent Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki secured re-election in Sunday's gubernatorial race, beating Atsushi Sakima supported by the ruling coalition, Japanese media reported.

• Tamaki was backed by a slew of opposition parties in a race against the ruling LDP/Komeito coalition's candidate Atsushi Sakima. The Governor is associated with a regional movement calling for a decreased U.S. military presence in Japan's southernmost prefecture, but this time his campaign involved more emphasis on economic matters.
• The poll was the first major electoral test for the ruling coalition since the inauguration of the second Kishida Cabinet. An exit poll ran by Asahi showed that opposition voters overwhelmingly preferred Tamaki, as did nearly two-thirds of independent voters, which sets the incumbent on track for a comfortable victory.
• Sakima's failure to mount a serious challenge to the incumbent reflects the LDP's continued troubles with regaining public support amidst the scandal surrounding the party's links with the Unification Church. During the campaign period, Sakima admitted attending an event hosted by the controversial religious movement.
• Following the election, Tamaki is set to step up his efforts to block a planned relocation of a U.S. military base within Okinawa prefecture, drawing the central government into a further legal battle.