A leadership election was held in the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan on 28 September 2009 after the incumbent party leader and outgoing Prime Minister of Japan Tarō Asō announced that he would resign after losing badly in the general election held on 30 August 2009.^[1] Asō announced on 8 September he would resign on 16 September 2009,^[2] which he did as planned.^[3]

Quick Facts Candidate, LDP MPs ...

2009 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election

← 2008 28 September 2009 2012 →

Candidate Sadakazu Tanigaki Tarō Kōno Yasutoshi Nishimura LDP MPs 120 35 43 Party members 180 109 11 Total 300 144 54

President before election Tarō Asō Elected President Sadakazu Tanigaki

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In order to run in the election, a candidate must have the support of at least twenty LDP MPs. Since there are 387 LDP Diet members and 141 prefectural LDP representatives (three for each of the 47 prefectural chapters), there is a total of 528 votes.

Former finance minister Sadakazu Tanigaki announced on 13 September 2009 he would stand in the election. Tanigaki had also been a candidate in the 2006 leadership election, where he came in third place behind Shinzō Abe and Tarō Asō. Yasutoshi Nishimura and Tarō Kōno (son of former LDP leader Yōhei Kōno) are the other two announced candidates.^[4]

Farm minister Shigeru Ishiba was also considered a possible candidate, but he did not stand.^[5]

Declared

More information Candidate(s), Date of birth ...

Candidate(s)		Date of birth	Current position	Party faction	Electoral district
Taro Kono		(1963-01-10)10 January 1963 (age 46)	Member of the House of Representatives (since 1996) Previous offices held Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications (2002) State Minister of Justice (2005–2006)	Ikōkai (Asō)	Kanagawa 15th district
Yasutoshi Nishimura		(1962-10-15)15 October 1962 (age 46)	Member of the House of Representatives (since 2003) Previous offices held Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs (2008–2009)	Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai (Machimura)	Hyōgo 9th district
Sadakazu Tanigaki		(1945-03-07)7 March 1945 (age 64)	Member of the House of Representatives (since 1983) Other offices Chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission (2002–2003) Minister of Finance (2003–2006) Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (2008)	Kōchikai (Koga)	Kyoto 5th district

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A public debate was held on 19 September 2009.^[6] Tanigaki was elected with 300 of 498 ballots.^[7]

• 1 invalid vote