Akita 3rd district

Akita 3rd district is a constituency of the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan.

Akita 3rd district
Parliamentary constituency
for the Japanese House of Representatives
Numbered map of Akita Prefecture single-member districts
PrefectureAkita
Proportional DistrictTōhoku
Electorate310,837[1]
Current constituency
Created1994
SeatsOne
PartyDPP
RepresentativeToshihide Muraoka
MunicipalitiesYokote, Yurihonjō, Yuzawa, Daisen, Semboku, Nikaho, Senboku District, Ogachi District

History

The district was created after the 1994 electoral reform. Initially, the seat was given to Kanzo Muraoka, who had previously served as Chief Cabinet Secretary, while Hidefumi Minorikawa was elected proportionally, as a deal to let both hold seats in the House of Representatives. However, after Hidefumi died in 2003, the deal dissolved. His son, Nobuhide Minorikawa, challenged Muraoka as an independent. Nobuhide managed to defeat Muraoka in the 2003 election, securing the seat.

Muraoka was indicted in the Japan Dental Federation Black Donation Case [ja], so did not run in the 2005 election. Instead, his second son, Toshihide Muraoka, ran instead. He lost to Minorikawa again. They held a rematch in 2009, but this time were upstaged by DPJ-ite Kimiko Kyono, leaving both of the others without seats. By 2012, Kyono had joined the TPJ, as DPJ and other splinter candidates struggled across the country. Both Toshihide and Minorikawa ran for the seat, and Minorikawa won. Toshihide had joined the conservative opposition Japan Restoration Party, and was elected proportionally from the group.

In 2014, Toshihide and Minorikawa battled again, and Minorikawa won. However, the final margin of votes was just under 6,000, and Toshihide was resurrected again with the JIP. In 2017, Toshihide joined Kibō no Tō to challenge Minorikawa under the party. However, he was defeated by six points, and Toshihide was unable to be resurrected proportionally due to the poor performance of Kibō nationwide.

Toshihide did not run for the seat in 2021, and Minorikawa only faced a JCP challenger who was dispatched by a wide margin.

In 2024, four candidates ran, the most since 2012. Not only was Toshihide back under the DPP banner to challenge Minorikawa, but both a CDP challenger, Ikuyo Ogawa, was present, along with another JCP candidate, Kazuhisa Fujita. In the end, Toshihide finally succeeded in unseating Minorikawa; it was the first time in the five elections Toshihide had run in that he had unseated Minorikawa, and the first time in the district's history a non-LDP affiliate had won.[a] Minorikawa was nevertheless resurrected proportionally. It was also the first time since 2000 that a Muraoka won the district.

List of representatives

Representative Party Years served Notes
Kenzo Muraoka LDP 1996-2003
Nobuhide Minorikawa Ind. 2003-2004
LDP 2004-2009 Dissolved independent caucus and joined the LDP.
Kimiko Kyono DPJ 2009-2011
PLF 2011 Participated in founding of PLF.
TPJ 2011-2012 Joined TPJ when PLF merged. Lost re-election.
Nobuhide Minorikawa LDP 2009-2024 Lost re-election. Revived on proportional block.
Toshihide Muraoka DPP 2024-

Election results

2024[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DPP Toshihide Muraoka 83,001 45.03 New
LDP Nobuhide Minorikawa (won a seat in PR block) 74,722 40.54 Decrease37.41
CDP Ogawa Ikuyo 22,043 11.96 New
JCP Kazuhisa Fujita 4,562 2.47 Decrease19.58
Turnout 184,32 61.60 Increase5.71
DPP gain from LDP
2021[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
LDP Nobuhide Minorikawa 134,734 77.95 Increase27.38
JCP Akira Sugiyama 38,118 22.05 Increase16.74
Turnout 172,852 55.89 Decrease8.33
LDP hold
2017[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
LDP Nobuhide Minorikawa 107,432 50.57 Increase2.78
Kibō no Tō Toshihide Muraoka 93,746 44.13 New
JCP Akira Tomioka 11,274 5.31 Decrease1.97
Turnout 212,452 64.22 Increase6.14
LDP hold
2014[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
LDP Nobuhide Minorikawa 94,096 47.79 Increase5.11
Ishin Toshihide Muraoka 88,483 44.94 New
JCP Keiko Wagatsuma 14,333 7.28 Increase2.2
Turnout 196,912 54.08 Decrease5.85
LDP hold
2012[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
LDP Nobuhide Minorikawa 97,164 42.68 Increase9.38
Restoration Toshihide Muraoka 74,422 32.69 New
Tomorrow Kimiko Kyono 25,185 11.06 New
Democratic Mariko Matsui 23,665 10.40 Decrease27.02
JCP Chouemon Sato 7,211 3.17 New
Turnout 227,647 65.64 Decrease10.06
LDP gain from Tomorrow
2009[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Kimiko Kyono 101,777 37.42 Increase7.59
LDP Nobuhide Minorikawa 90,575 33.30 Decrease8.02
Independent Toshihide Muraoka 76,787 28.23 Decrease0.62
Happiness Realization Atsushi Nishimoto 2,847 1.05 New
Turnout 271,986 75.70 Increase1.07
Democratic gain from LDP
2005[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
LDP Nobuhide Minorikawa 114,228 41.32 Decrease2.23
Democratic Kimiko Kyono 82,480 29.83 New
Independent Toshihide Muraoka 79,759 28.85 New
Turnout 276,467 74.63 Increase2.45
LDP hold
2003
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Nobuhide Minorikawa 133,981 49.68 New
LDP Kenzo Muraoka 117,453 43.55 Decrease19.45
JCP Keiko Wagatsuma 18,276 6.78 Increase0.67
Turnout 269,710 74.63
Independent gain from LDP
2000
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
LDP Kenzo Muraoka 170,176 63.00 Increase5.11
Democratic Tatsuro Nakajima 45,572 16.87 New
Liberal Tomoki Sasayama 37,876 14.02 New
JCP Masao Waga 16,517 6.11 Decrease3.25
Turnout 270,141
LDP hold
1996
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
LDP Kenzo Muraoka 150,956 57.89 New
New Frontier Hajime Terada 85,390 32.75 New
JCP Toshio Fuji 24,405 9.36 New
Turnout 260,751
LDP hold

Notes

  1. ^ Minorikawa won as an independent in 2003, but switched back to the party in 2004.

References

  1. ^ Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC): [1](in Japanese)
  2. ^ "2024 House of Representatives, Akita". nhksenkyo. NHK. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  3. ^ 小選挙区 秋田1区 (in Japanese). NHK. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  4. ^ 小選挙区 秋田1区 (in Japanese). NHK. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  5. ^ 選挙区 秋田1区|2014衆院選|衆議院選挙|選挙アーカイブス|NHK選挙WEB (in Japanese). NHK. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  6. ^ 朝日新聞デジタル:秋田 - 開票速報 - 第46回総選挙access-date=19 October 2024 (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun.
  7. ^ 秋田1区 - 第46回衆議院議員選挙(衆議院議員総選挙)2012年12月16日投票 | 選挙ドットコム (in Japanese). Senkyo.com. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  8. ^ asahi.com(朝日新聞社):秋田1区 - 小選挙区開票結果 - 2009総選挙access-date=21 October 2024 (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun.
  9. ^ asahi.com : 開票結果-秋田1区-2005総選挙 (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 21 October 2024.