Reeling from a disappointing showing in the snap election last month, the Kansai-centered Nippon Ishin no Kai heads into its Dec. 1 leadership race with deep questions about the party’s purpose and strategy.
Four candidates began their campaigns Sunday. The contenders are: Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, 49; Nippon Ishin Deputy Secretary-General and Lower House lawmaker Ryuna Kanemura, 45; Upper House member and former Kanagawa Gov. Shigefumi Matsuzawa, 66; and Lower House member Seiki Soramoto, 60, who represents a district in Hiroshima Prefecture.
The winner will replace current leader Nobuyuki Baba, a Lower House member, and attempt to strengthen the party's presence nationwide.
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