Hyogo Gov. Toshizo Ido, endorsed by all the major parties, won his fourth term Sunday by defeating his lone challenger, who was supported by the Japanese Communist Party.
Ido, a 67-year-old independent, was endorsed by the local chapters of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan, New Komeito and the Social Democratic Party.
Kotaro Tanaka, the 64-year-old independent backed by the JCP, was challenging Ido for the second time.
In the campaign, Ido played up his performance for the past 12 years and vowed to promote countermeasures against natural disasters through infrastructure investment, while Tanaka stressed the importance of welfare measures.