After more than six months in office, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s approval ratings remain at historic highs, but that has not translated to the local level, where the ruling Liberal Democratic Party she leads continues to lose elections.
On April 19, LDP-backed candidates lost 7 of 13 mayoral races nationwide. The setbacks followed a high-profile defeat in March’s Ishikawa gubernatorial election, in which incumbent Hiroshi Hase lost despite Takaichi campaigning on his behalf.
The defeats have emboldened opposition parties and left the LDP searching for ways to close the gap between national popularity and local performance.
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