Politics & Government

LDP Likely to Hold Presidential Election on Oct. 4, Several Candidates Rumored to Be in the Running

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Liberal Democratic Party headquarters

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:18 JST, September 8, 2025

Following Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s announcement on Sunday of his intention to step down from his position, the Liberal Democratic Party has begun preparations to hold an election to choose his successor. Arrangements are being made to hold a presidential election that includes votes by rank-and-file party members on Oct. 4.

At a press conference on the day, Ishiba stated that his resignation as party president would constitute a vacancy as defined by Article 6, Clause 2 of the party rules. He explained that he had instructed Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama to move forward with preparations for an election.

Although an extraordinary presidential election can be held during a party president’s term under Article 6, Clause 4 if requested by a majority of party lawmakers and prefectural chapters, the prime minister emphasized there is no need to go through the request procedure.

The LDP held a presidential election management committee meeting at party headquarters on Monday morning and decided to suspend procedures for an extraordinary presidential election, which would have been used to force him to step down. Instead, preparations will be made for a presidential election as a result of his voluntary resignation.

The party is expected to decide as early as Tuesday whether to proceed with the “full-scale” method, which involves nationwide voting by rank-and-file party members, and confirm the schedule. Should the full-scale method be adopted, a proposal has been put forward to hold the vote in early October.

Those expected to run for Ishiba’s successor include former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi; Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shinjiro Koizumi; Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi; former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi; and former LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi. All of them ran in last year’s leadership election.