Opposition party lawmaker Renho on Monday revealed her intentions to run in the July Tokyo gubernatorial election. The 56-year-old lawmaker from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) is set to hold a news conference at 2 p.m on her candidacy.
If incumbent Gov. Yuriko Koike, 71, — who is expected to run for her third four-year term — formally announces her intention to join the race, as early as Wednesday, the gubernatorial election will be a closely watched and competitive battle between two high-profile female politicians.
Renho currently represents the Tokyo district in the House of Councilors and is finishing her fourth term in parliament, which she first joined in 2004 upon being elected to the Upper House.
The former newscaster previously served as administrative reform minister during the Democratic Party of Japan’s rule as well as the leader for the now-defunct Democratic Party. She made headlines in 2016 when she received backlash for not having renounced her Taiwanese citizenship after being elected as president of the party.
The CDP and the Japanese Communist Party are in talks to make Renho their candidate, Tokyo Shimbun reported.
Another notable candidate who has expressed intentions to run in the gubernatorial election is Shinji Ishimaru, 41, the current mayor of the city of Akitakata in Hiroshima Prefecture.
The election will kick off on June 20, with polling day set for July 7.