2018 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) presidential election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2018 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election
| flag_image = 自民党Logo.svg
| type = legislative
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2015 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) presidential election
| previous_year = 2015
| next_election = 2020 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) presidential election
| next_year = 2020
| election_date = 20 September 2018
| 1blank = LDP MPs
| 2blank = Members
| 3blank = Total votes
| image1 = Shinzō Abe 20120501 (cropped).jpg
| candidate1 = Shinzo Abe
| color1 = 438C15
| leaders_seat1 = Yamaguchi 4th
| 1data1 = 329 (81.84%)
| 2data1 = 224 (55.31%)
| 3data1 = 553 (68.53%)
| image2 = Shigeru Ishiba 20151007 (cropped).jpg
| candidate2 = Shigeru Ishiba
| color2 = 0B75D9
| leaders_seat2 = Tottori 1st
| 1data2 = 73 (18.16%)
| 2data2 = 181 (44.69%)
| 3data2 = 254 (31.47%)
| map_image = 2018 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) Leadership election.svg
| map_caption = Election results
| title = President
| before_election = Shinzo Abe
| after_election = Shinzo Abe
}}
A presidential election was held on 20 September 2018 to elect the next president of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan for a new 3-year term. Incumbent president Shinzo Abe was running for re-election after a rule change in 2017 that allowed him to run for a third term.{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/abe-japan-longest-serving-premier-170305094653989.html|title=Abe could become Japan's longest serving premier|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=6 March 2017|access-date=20 December 2017}}
Abe's subsequent victory{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/09/japan-shinzo-abe-wins-ruling-party-leadership-vote-180920053102178.html |title=Japan's Shinzo Abe wins ruling party leadership vote |access-date=10 May 2024 |date= 20 Sep 2018|publisher=Al Jazeera}} led to him staying as prime minister for just under two years. In this time, on 22 November 2019, he broke the record for the nation's longest-serving prime ministership previously held by Taro Katsura, who had served three times between 1901 and 1913. He also served the longest uninterrupted term by 24 August 2020, ahead of Eisaku Satō's 2,797 days, before resigning four days later.
Background
= Scandals =
In March 2018, it was revealed that the Finance Ministry (with finance minister Tarō Asō at its head) had falsified documents presented to the parliament in relation to the Moritomo Gakuen scandal, to remove 14 passages implicating Abe.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/44bc98c0-25be-11e8-b27e-cc62a39d57a0|title=Japan fake document scandal shakes Abe government|newspaper=Financial Times|date=12 March 2018|last1=Harding|first1=Robin}} It has been suggested that the scandal could cost Abe his seat as the Liberal Democratic Party's leader. A Kyodo poll showed the Japanese government popularity's has fallen as low as 30% from 44% in February.{{Cite web|url=http://www.forexlive.com/news/!/abes-popularity-falls-as-document-altering-scandal-continues-20180318|title = Abe's popularity falls as document-altering scandal continues}}
Candidates
= Nominated =
== Supporters ==
= Expressed intention but did not have enough supporters for nomination =
- Seiko Noda, then-Interior Minister.{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/08/04/national/politics-diplomacy/noda-vows-run-ldp-presidency-next-years-poll/|title=Noda ready to take on Abe in LDP leadership election next year|author=Jiji Press|author-link=Jiji Press|work=Japan Times|date=4 August 2017|access-date=20 December 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170802/p2a/00m/0na/014000c|title=Abe to appoint Foreign Minister Kishida to head LDP Policy Research Council|work=Mainichi Shimbun|date=4 August 2017|access-date=20 December 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/general/news/201808260000964.html|title=野田聖子氏が総裁選立候補せず、安倍首相を支持意向|work=Nikkan Sports|date=26 August 2018|access-date=27 August 2018|language=Japanese|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827115220/https://www.nikkansports.com/general/news/201808260000964.html|archivedate=27 August 2018|url-status=dead}}
File:Seiko Noda 200809.jpg|{{center|Interior Minister
Seiko Noda
(2017–2018)}}
=== Speculative ===
- Tarō Kōno, current Foreign Minister.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/17/world/asia/japan-taro-kono-political-maverick.html|title=In Japan, a Liberal Maverick Is Seeking to Lead a Conservative Party|first1=Motoko|last1=Rich|work=The New York Times|date=17 February 2018|access-date=18 February 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/17/national/politics-diplomacy/taro-konos-clean-energy-critique-uae-speech-fuels-abe-succession-talk/|title=Taro Kono's clean energy critique in UAE speech fuels Abe succession talk|first1=Isabel|last1=Reynolds|first2=Chisaki|last2=Watanabe|work=Japan Times|date=17 January 2018|access-date=18 January 2018}} Son of Yōhei Kōno, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
- Tarō Asō, current Finance Minister and former Prime Minister of Japan.{{cite news|url=https://thediplomat.com/2017/08/abes-cabinet-reshuffle-explained/|title=Abe's Cabinet Reshuffle, Explained|first=Michael MacArthur|last=Bossack|publisher=The Diplomat|date=5 August 2017|access-date=20 December 2017}} Grandson of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida.
- Shinjiro Koizumi, First Vice Secretary-General of the LDP and son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.{{cite news|url=http://www.tokyoreview.net/2018/03/japan-ldp-leadership-race/|title=Who Will Lead Japan after September?|first=Rob|last=Fahey|publisher=Tokyo Review|date=22 March 2018|access-date=22 March 2018}}
File:Tarō Kōno 20110307.jpg|{{center|Foreign Minister
Tarō Kōno
(2017–2019)}}
File:Tarō Asō 20170920.jpg|{{center|Finance Minister
Tarō Asō
(2012–2021)}}
File:Shinjirō Koizumi 20091130.jpg|{{center|First Vice Secretary-General of the LDP
Shinjirō Koizumi
(2017–present)}}
= Declined =
- Fumio Kishida, current chair of the LDP Policy Research Council and former Foreign Minister in the Second and Third Abe Cabinet.{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/05/29/national/politics-diplomacy/kishida-eyes-prime-ministership-ldps-kochi-kai-faction-celebrates-60th-anniversary/|title=Kishida eyes prime ministership as LDP's Kochi Kai faction celebrates 60th anniversary|author=Jiji Press|author-link=Jiji Press|work=Japan Times|date=29 May 2017|access-date=20 December 2017}}{{cite news|url=http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201807250037.html|title=Kishida decides against running in LDP election, will support Abe|first=Shinobu|last=Konno|publisher=Asahi Shimbun|date=25 July 2018|access-date=12 August 2018|archive-date=12 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812114614/http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201807250037.html|url-status=dead}}
File:Fumio Kishida 20160202 (cropped).jpg|{{center|Foreign Minister
Fumio Kishida
(2012–2017)}}
Results
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;font-size:95%;"
|+ Full result | ||||||
| rowspan=2|Candidate
!colspan=2|MPs !colspan=3|Party members !colspan=3|Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes
! % ! Popular votes ! Allocated votes ! % ! colspan="2"| Votes ! % | ||||||
| style="text-align:left"|Shinzo Abe {{color|red|当}}
|329 | 81.84%
|355,487 | 224 | 55.31%
|553 | align=center|{{percentage bar|68.53 | hex=00b138}} | 68.53% |
| style="text-align:left"|Shigeru Ishiba
|73 | 18.16%
|286,003 | 181 | 44.69%
|254 | align=center|{{percentage bar|31.47 | hex=00b138}} | 31.47% |
| Total
!style="text-align:right"|402 !style="text-align:right"|100.00% !style="text-align:right"|641,490 !style="text-align:right"|405 !style="text-align:right"|100.00% !style="text-align:right"|807 ! !style="text-align:right"|100.00% |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Liberal Democratic Party of Japan leadership elections}}
Category:2018 elections in Japan
Category:Political party leadership elections in Japan
Category:Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election
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