Matsumoto wins second term as Urasoe mayor

Tetsuji Matsumoto, the incumbent Urasoe mayor won a second term in the office in the Urasoe mayoral election held Sunday.

49-year-old Masumoto ran as an independent but was backed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito. In the election, Matsumoto corralled 30,733 votes against 22,043 for his sole opponent, 42-year-old Kentaro Matayoshi who also ran as a independent but was backed by Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga and parties aligned behind him.

61.37% of the electorate cast votes in the ballot box that was 1.93% below the last time. The municipal assembly election was held to coincide with the mayoral election. All 27 candidates were elected to the assembly.

During his first term, Matsumoto won kudos from his electorate among other things by his handling of city finances. He also changed his opinion from opposing the transfer of Naha Military Port to Urasoe to agreeing with the plan.

17:12 29 Mar , 2024