Koizumi Favored for LDP Leadership, Followed by Ishiba: Jiji Poll

Tokyo, Sept. 12 (Jiji Press)--Former Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is the most popular candidate in the race to become the next leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, followed by former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba, a Jiji Press public opinion poll showed Thursday.

In the poll, conducted over four days through Monday, Koizumi was favored by 25.5 pct of respondents, up from 12.5 pct in the previous poll in August, while Ishiba was named by 24.2 pct, up from 18.7 pct.

Economic security minister Sanae Takaichi and digital transformation minister Taro Kono came in third with 8.5 pct and fourth with 4.9 pct, respectively.

Among respondents who support the LDP, support stood at 35.6 pct for Koizumi, 27.1 pct for Ishiba, 12.1 pct for Takaichi and 3.6 pct for Kono.

A record nine LDP leadership candidates filed their candidacies on Thursday as the official campaign period for the Sept. 27 party election began.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]