前橋市長に小川氏初当選　自公推薦の現職４選阻む

　任期満了に伴う前橋市長選は４日投開票され、無所属新人で元県議の小川晶氏（４１）が、無所属現職の山本龍氏（６４）＝自民、公明推薦＝を破り、初当選した。同市初の女性市長となる。投票率は３９．３９％で、前回（４３．１６％）を下回った。
　小川氏は県議会で野党系会派に所属していたが、市長選では連合群馬の推薦を受けるにとどめ、無党派を強調。政党の推薦は受けずに市政の刷新や子育て支援の充実などを訴え、現職に反発する保守層にも支持を広げた。
　山本氏は、多数の業界団体からも支援を受けて組織選挙を展開。デジタル化の推進など市政の継続を訴えたが、保守分裂となった前回市長選の影響で割れた保守票をまとめきれなかった。（2024/02/04-22:09）

An independent candidate won Sunday's mayoral election in the city of Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, defeating incumbent Ryu Yamamoto, 64, who was supported by Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito.
   Akira Ogawa, 41, a former member of the Gunma prefectural assembly, will become the first female mayor of the eastern Japan city.
   Ogawa belonged to an opposition group when she was a member of the prefectural assembly, but she ran as an independent in the mayoral race, supported only by a local labor group.
   "This is a victory of the citizens," Ogawa said before her supporters. "Their wish to change the city allowed me to step forward for new politics."
   Meanwhile, Yamamoto told reporters that there was no connection between his election loss and a high-profile money scandal involving the LDP. "It was (due to) my inadequacy," he said.