自公推薦の木村氏初当選　前市長ら破る―熊本知事選

　任期満了に伴う熊本県知事選は２４日投開票され、無所属新人で元副知事の木村敬氏（４９）＝自民、公明推薦＝が、前熊本市長の幸山政史氏（５８）ら無所属新人３人を破り、初当選を果たした。投票率は４９．６３％で、前回（４５．０３％）を上回った。
　知事選は、現職の蒲島郁夫氏が今期限りでの引退を表明し、１６年ぶりの新人対決となった。木村氏は副知事として支えた蒲島県政の継承をアピールし、組織戦を展開。半導体受託製造の世界最大手「台湾積体電路製造（ＴＳＭＣ）」の進出を受けた振興策や福祉の充実などを訴え、幅広い支持を集めた。
　派閥の裏金事件で自民党への逆風が続く中での選挙戦を、木村氏は熊本市内で「（県内）４５市町村の隅々まで歩き、これからの熊本のために政策を訴えてきた」と振り返った。
　幸山氏は、ＴＳＭＣ進出が地下水に与える影響の監視強化や、地場産業の育成などを主張。立憲民主、共産、国民民主、社民各党の県組織の自主支援を受けたが、及ばなかった。（2024/03/25-00:17）

Takashi Kimura, former vice governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, is certain to win Sunday's gubernatorial election in the southwestern Japan prefecture, beating his three contenders including Seishi Koyama, former mayor of the city of Kumamoto, the prefecture's capital.
   Kimura, who was backed by the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, the country's ruling parties, will be the first new governor of Kumamoto in 16 years. He overcame headwinds from the LDP's high-profile money scandal.
   Koyama received voluntary support from the prefectural chapters of four opposition parties in the Diet--the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party, the Democratic Party for the People and the Social Democratic Party.
   The election saw competition among the four independent candidates after the incumbent, Ikuo Kabashima, announced his intention to step down.
   During the election campaign, Kimura, 49, pledged to continue Kabashima's policies, which he had supported as vice governor. He won widespread support by highlighting his regional development policies following Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s expansion into the prefecture, as well as his focus on improving welfare services.