Atsushi Sakima, a former member of the Okinawa prefectural assembly, won Sunday's mayoral election in Ginowan amid controversy over a U.S. military base issue.

Sakima, 47, beat former Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha, 60, in the closely contested race in which the top issue was the Japan-U.S. plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station from the city to Nago in northern Okinawa.

The victory by Sakima, who was backed by Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima as well as the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party and its ally the New Komeito party, marked the first time in 26 years for the conservative bloc to regain control of the city administration.