Ousted Ito Mayor Takubo's Re-election Bid Ends in Failure

Ito, Shizuoka Pref., Dec. 14 (Jiji Press)--Sunday's mayoral election in the city of Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, held due to the ouster of former Mayor Maki Takubo resulted in the first-time election of former city council member Kazuya Sugimoto, with Takubo's re-election bid ending in failure.

The key issue was rebuilding municipal administration after it was thrown into turmoil by allegations that Takubo, 55, falsified her academic background, which led to her ouster.

The voter turnout was 60.54 pct, significantly higher than the previous election's 49.65 pct.

A record nine candidates ran in the mayoral election.

Sugimoto, 43, endorsed by the Shizuoka prefectural chapter of the Democratic Party for the People, campaigned on restoring normalcy to city administration, narrowly defeating former mayor Tatsuya Ono, 62, backed by the Liberal Democratic Party's prefectural chapter.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]