Photo/Illutration Yuriko Koike celebrates her re-election as Tokyo governor on July 7. (Takeshi Komiya)

Yuriko Koike was easily re-elected Tokyo governor, garnering a majority of votes from supporters of the ruling coalition parties and proving popular among female and older voters, Asahi Shimbun exit polls showed.

Koike, 71, who was backed by the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, secured about 2.92 million votes, or 42.77 percent of valid votes cast in the election on July 7, to clinch her third term, according to tallies announced by municipal election administration commissions.

Although Koike’s vote total was about 740,000 fewer than what she gained in the previous election four years ago, she finished comfortably ahead of runner-up Shinji Ishimaru, former mayor of Akitakata, Hiroshima Prefecture, and former Upper House member Renho, who ended up in third place.

Ishimaru, 41, who ran as an independent, gained about 1.66 million votes, or 24.30 percent of the total.

Renho, 56, who was backed by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party, received 1.28 million votes, or 18.81 percent.

Voter turnout was 60.62 percent, up from 55.00 percent four years ago and the highest since the 62.60 percent recorded in 2012.

The Asahi Shimbun conducted exit polls at 120 polling stations and received 5,357 valid responses.

LDP supporters accounted for 26 percent of respondents, down from 34 percent four years ago.

Koike secured backing from 67 percent of LDP supporters and 81 percent of Komeito supporters.

By gender and age groups, the governor gained strong support from women and elderly voters.

Nearly 50 percent of female respondents to Asahi Shimbun exit polls voted for Koike, more than twice as many as those who voted for Ishimaru or Renho.

Support for the incumbent was stronger in upper age brackets.

While less than 30 percent of voters in their teens or 20s picked Koike, more than 40 percent of those in their 50s and more than half of those age 80 or older voted for her.

Ishimaru, a former banker who spread his arguments through online videos and social media during the campaign, captured support from the growing ranks of unaffiliated voters.

Voters with no party affiliation accounted for 47 percent of respondents to Asahi Shimbun exit polls, up from 35 percent four years ago.

Ishimaru gained support from 36 percent of unaffiliated voters, topping Koike’s 32 percent. Renho attracted only 16 percent of unaffiliated voters.

By party affiliation, 41 percent of supporters of Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) and nearly 40 percent of supporters of the Democratic Party for the People voted for Ishimaru.

Renho secured backing from 72 percent of CDP supporters, 69 percent of JCP supporters and nearly 40 percent of supporters of Reiwa Shinsengumi.

CDP supporters accounted for 9 percent of respondents to Asahi Shimbun exit polls, up from 7 percent four years ago.

Asahi Shimbun exit polls showed that more than 40 percent of voters in their 20s or younger cast their ballots for Ishimaru.

Renho, who received support from 20 to 30 percent of voters in their 50s or older, failed to make inroads into younger generations.

In Asahi Shimbun exit polls, 36 percent of respondents said they “greatly” placed emphasis on the LDP’s political fund scandal in the gubernatorial election, and 34 percent said they placed emphasis “to a certain extent.”

When Renho announced her candidacy, she said, “I will ‘reset’ the metropolitan administration under Koike that is helping grant a reprieve to the LDP politics.”

But among the combined voters who took the LDP scandal into account, more than 30 percent voted for Koike, nearly 30 percent voted for Ishimaru and a little more than 20 percent voted for Renho.

A record 56 candidates ran in the gubernatorial election.

But all candidates other than Koike, Ishimaru and Renho failed to win one-10th of the total number of valid votes cast and will have to forfeit the deposit of 3 million yen ($18,700).

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