Survey: Over 1,200 Candidates Expected to Run in Japan’s Lower House Election; High Number Likely due to Lack of Cooperation Among Opposition

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:28 JST, October 10, 2024

More than 1,200 candidates are expected to run in the upcoming House of Representatives election on Oct. 27, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey compiled on Wednesday.

Parties are poised to field additional candidates, and the number of expected to increase further. In the 2021 lower house election, 1,051 candidates ran in the election.

For the single-seat constituency election with 289 seats available, about 1,080 candidates are expected to run, significantly surpassing the 857 candidates who ran in the previous election in 2021.

The lack of cooperation among opposition parties is believed to be affecting the situation, with various parties moving forward with their candidates.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is planning to field 267 candidates, excluding former lawmakers who are not endorsed as a result of their involvement in the political funds scandal. The LDP’s coalition partner Komeito is planning to field candidates in 11 constituencies.

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is fielding 207 candidates.

In the proportional representation election with 176 seats available, more than 780 candidates are expected to run, including those also running in the single-seat constituencies.