Akashian presidential election, 2010
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| Turnout | 90,0% (first round) 87,6% (second round) | |||||||||||||||
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 Most voted candidate by province (second round) | ||||||||||||||||
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A presidential election was held in Akashi on 26 June and 3 July 2010.
Incumbent Kōsaku Ayuzawa's decision to retire after 2 terms left the presidential election wide open. It had the most packed field at 7 candidates, including the Socialist Party and National Union, separate Moderate People's Party and United Reform Party candidates, the Communist Party and Future Party, and an independent Goth candidate.
The MPP put forward Keiko Nakayama as its candidate, guaranteeing an exciting presidential election. Keiko had served as Minister of Public Welfare under Ran Tsukuda and Anna Carbone, making her one of Akashi's most renowned conservative socialists. Her flamboyant image and appeal among leftist voters, who respected her ministerial record, made her a formidable challenger for the SP's Kyōichi Hirayama.
The first round saw Kyōichi win a plurality with 31,4% of the vote, and Keiko almost 5% behind with 26,4%. Since the simultaneous general election had returned a "red wave", voters looked forward to a dramatic showdown between Kyōichi and Keiko in the second round. Since the 1990s, Akashi had seen a pattern of cohabitation (communist prime minister and conservative president, conservative prime minister and socialist president), which boosted Keiko's chances of pulling off a victory.
The second round became the narrowest ever result for an Akashian presidential election: both candidates won almost exactly 50% of the vote, and Kyōichi defeated Keiko by only 4.413 votes. The second round map reflected the narrow result: Keiko won majorities in 4 provinces, with Kyōichi only winning a majority in Kobi. Keiko later reflected that winning Kobi would've carried her to victory, but she felt its voters were wary of risking a vote for a conservative socialist since the neoliberal conspiracy was still in living memory.
Result
| Presidential election, 26 June and 3 July 2010 | ||||||
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| Candidate | Party | 1st round | 2nd round | |||
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
| Kyōichi Hirayama | Socialist Party | 2.372.758 | 31,4% | 3.679.730 | 50,0% | |
| Keiko Nakayama | Moderate People's Party | 2.025.157 | 26,8% | 3.675.317 | 50,0% | |
| Chiho Akagi | Future Party | 884.117 | 11,7% | |||
| Satoko Narisawa | Communist Party | 785.882 | 10,4% | |||
| Wittigis | United Reform Party | 672.533 | 8,9% | |||
| Shirō Kasai | National Union | 476.063 | 6,3% | |||
| Hilduara | Independent | 340.045 | 4,5% | |||
| Total | 7.556.555 | 100% | 7.355.047 | 100% | ||
| Registered voters and turnout | 8.396.173 | 90,0% | 87,6% | |||