Miyazaki Gov. Shunji Kono was set to win re-election in Sunday's gubernatorial election, beating a former House of Representatives member and another challenger, according to Kyodo News projections.
Kono, 50, ran as an independent but with recommendations from major parties such as the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito and the Democratic Party of Japan.
Kono was challenged by former Lower House member Hidesaburo Kawamura, 65, who ran as an independent, and Japanese Communist Party candidate Koichi Hotta, a 66-year-old former senior high school teacher.
The one-term governor campaigned on a pledge to continue his existing polices, saying he will tackle the declining population in the largely farming region in southern Kyushu.