Yamagata Gov. Kazuo Takahashi won his third four-year term Sunday, while Gifu Gov. Taku Kajiwara won his fourth.

Takahashi, 70, an independent backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan, New Komeito and the Social Democratic Party, defeated Teruo Suzuki, a 68-year-old citizens' group leader and sole challenger supported by the Japanese Communist Party, in Sunday's poll.

Takahashi garnered 372,466 votes over Suzuki's 96,905. Voter turnout marked a record low 48.81 percent. ,down from 49.07 percent recorded in the previous poll.

No negative effects from the recent arrest of House of Councilors member Takao Koyama on suspicion of receiving bribes from the mutual aid foundation KSD were felt, despite Koyama, who hails from Yamagata, serving as Takahashi's election adviser.

In the Gifu election, Kajiwara, a 67-year-old independent backed by the LDP, the DPJ, New Komeito and the New Conservative Party, defeated Kinju Hasegawa, 65, an independent supported by the JCP. Hasegawa is a former high school teacher.

Kajiwara received 555,902 votes to Hasegawa's 197,152. Voter turnout was 46.49 percent, up slightly from the previous 45.44 percent.