The Saga gubernatorial election, to be voted on December 20 and formally announced on December 3, is less than a month away, and the prefectural Liberal Democratic Party has decided to "support" both the incumbent, Yoshinori Yamaguchi, 61, and a newcomer, former Air Self-Defense Force officer Yukari Yoshida, 52. All three candidates have said they will run as independents, and the party's unusual move means the campaign will effectively be fought with the LDP split.
The incumbent's record over three terms and 12 years, and a plan for a prefectural university, are likely to be the main issues.
Yamaguchi makes his case for a fourth term
At a report meeting on his prefectural administration in Saga City on October 31, Yamaguchi addressed supporters. "I go out to all kinds of places and listen to all kinds of people on an equal footing," he said. "I make judgments while thinking about Saga Prefecture and its residents."
Yamaguchi is seeking a fourth term on his record of 12 years, pointing to rising land prices, improvements to the environment for raising children and the promotion of agriculture, forestry and fisheries. He has the endorsement of the prefectural agricultural policy council, the political arm of the JA Group in Saga, and of Rengo Saga, the prefectural labor federation. His supporters' association says the number of groups backing him has grown to about 360.
On the West Kyushu route of the Kyushu Shinkansen, Yamaguchi has been cautious about building the line to full specifications, citing the financial burden and the risk of reduced convenience on existing lines. In July, however, he reached an agreement with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to carry out an environmental impact assessment, among other steps. He described the agreement at the report meeting.
Prefectural assembly members from the LDP caucus "Jiminto Next Saga" sometimes turn out to support him at these meetings. One assembly member praised Yamaguchi this way: "He doesn't simply swallow what the national government decides. His strong point is that local matters are decided locally."
Yamaguchi first won in 2015 with the support of agricultural cooperatives and some LDP prefectural assembly members, defeating a newcomer backed by the then LDP-Komeito government. He was endorsed by the LDP in the 2018 and 2022 races, but this time the party has stopped at "support."
A prefecture without a public university
Saga is the only prefecture without a public university, and the question of whether to establish one has drawn attention in the prefectural assembly, where a budget for the plan was approved. The issue is expected to feature in the campaign.