Voters in Hyogo Gubernatorial Election Prioritize Track Record Over Scandal
Voters in the Hyogo gubernatorial election were more focused on Motohiko Saito's track record as governor than on the scandal that pushed him out of office, according to an Asahi Shimbun exit poll.
When asked about the most important factor influencing their vote, 39% of respondents cited "policies and campaign promises," followed by "personality and image" at 27% and "career background and achievements" at 19%. Only 10% mentioned the "response to the document" alleging corruption and harassment by Saito and his aides.
Despite the scandal, 76% of voters approved of Saito's three-year management of the prefecture during his first term, and 62% supported his re-election. Only 22% disapproved of his performance.
The exit poll also revealed strong support for Saito across party lines. 76% of Liberal Democratic Party supporters and 85% of Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) supporters approved of his job as governor. Even among supporters of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, 58% approved of Saito's first term, exceeding the 40% who disapproved.
The gubernatorial election was called after Saito was forced out by a no-confidence motion in the prefectural assembly due to the scandal. A senior prefectural official had distributed a document accusing Saito and his aides of accepting gifts from businesses and harassing subordinates. The official was later found dead in an apparent suicide.
The exit poll also asked respondents about their evaluation of the overall handling of the document, including Saito's response. 40% said they either "highly approved" or "approved it to some extent," while 57% said they "do not approve it so much" or "do not approve it at all.