Tokyo. Japan’s governing party on Saturday elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, putting her on track to become the country’s first female prime minister.

Takaichi defeated Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, in a runoff election within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The leadership contest followed the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The LDP’s leader is almost certain to become Japan’s next prime minister since the party holds the largest bloc in parliament’s powerful lower house and the opposition remains fragmented.

In the first round of voting, Takaichi won 183 votes, ahead of Koizumi’s 164. With neither securing a majority, the contest went to a two-way runoff. Former prime ministers Taro Aso and Fumio Kishida, both influential party kingmakers, were seen as key in determining the outcome.

The LDP has suffered consecutive defeats in parliamentary elections over the past year, leaving it in the minority in both chambers. Party leaders hope the new leader can quickly restore public trust, push through economic measures, and manage diplomacy at a critical time.

Five candidates, two serving ministers and three former ministers, had entered the race. About 295 LDP lawmakers and roughly 1 million dues-paying members were eligible to vote, representing just about 1 percent of the Japanese public.

Pre-election polls suggested Takaichi, Koizumi, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi were the front-runners. Trade Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Economic Minister Takayuki Kobayashi were considered long shots.

Takaichi, a staunch conservative, would be Japan’s first female prime minister if confirmed in an upcoming parliamentary vote expected in mid-October. Koizumi, had he won, would have become the youngest prime minister in more than a century.

The LDP faces mounting pressure to fill the leadership vacuum ahead of a possible late-October summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, who is expected to push Tokyo to increase defense spending. Trump will be in the region for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea starting Oct. 31.

The party will likely seek to strengthen its coalition with the centrist Komeito and may court other moderate opposition groups. All five leadership contenders branded themselves as “moderate conservatives” to signal willingness to cooperate across party lines.

Campaign pledges focused on easing inflation pressures, boosting wages, and reinforcing both defense and the economy. Candidates largely avoided divisive social issues such as gender equality, same-sex marriage, and the political funding scandal that triggered the LDP’s recent election setbacks.

Analysts said sidestepping those contentious topics raises questions about the party’s ability to regain public confidence.

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