Tamaki faces challenge in DPP leadership race

Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki is facing a challenge in the opposition party's presidential race. However, Tamaki is the clear front-runner to secure a third term in office. Mikihiko Hashimoto, a 30-year-old Lower House member, has also entered the race against the 57-year-old Tamaki. Both candidates officially submitted their candidacies on Friday, ahead of the official campaign which begins on August 22. Voting will take place on September 6.

The Democratic Party aims for this leadership election to bolster its public image and reestablish support among its constituents. Hashimoto, a former officer in the Air Self-Defense Force, first won a seat in the Lower House during the 2024 election and is currently serving his second term. Although he lost the February Lower House election in Saitama No. 13, his constituency north of Tokyo, he retained his position through the proportional representation system in the north Kanto region block.

The party's leadership race will be determined by a 159-point system. Each of its 53 Members of Parliament receives one point, while local assembly members are allocated 53 points and party members and supporters another 53 points. The allocation of these points follows a proportional distribution under the D'Hondt method.