Former internal affairs minister Hiroya Masuda on Sunday said in a statement sent to media outlets that he will run for Tokyo governor in the July 31 election.
Masuda, 64, also a former governor of Iwate, is expected to receive the blessing of the LDP's Tokyo chapter on Monday morning, leaving fellow mayoral hopeful Yuriko Koike, a former defense minister, without party backing.
An LDP Lower House member Koike, 63, declared her candidacy last week, saying she will run whether the party backs her or not.
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