In a political victory for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a defeat for anti-U.S. base forces in Okinawa, incumbent Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine failed in his re-election bid Sunday night, losing to a candidate strongly backed by Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito.
Inamine lost to Taketoyo Toguchi, a former Nago assemblyman, by less than 3,500 votes out of over 36,000 cast. Voter turnout was 76.92 percent, a slight increase over the previous 2014 election.
During the race, Toguchi emphasized local economics over a controversial new U.S. military facility.
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