熊本知事に蒲島郁夫氏４選　前市長を破る

　任期満了に伴う熊本県知事選は２２日に投開票され、無所属で現職の蒲島郁夫氏（７３）が、無所属の新人で前熊本市長の幸山政史氏（５４）を破り、４選を果たした。全国的に新型コロナウイルスの感染が拡大する中での選挙戦となり、投票率は４５．０３％で前回を下回った。
　蒲島氏は、自民党県連と公明党県本部の支援を得たほか、連合熊本をはじめ幅広い団体からの推薦を受けて、組織戦を展開。現職知事として「政務より公務優先」の姿勢を打ち出して新型コロナウイルス対応に注力していることをアピールするとともに、２０１６年の熊本地震からの「創造的復興」を掲げ、支持を固めた。（2020/03/23-02:13）

Ikuo Kabashima was elected to his fourth four-year term as governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Sunday.
   Voter turnout stood at 45.03 pct, lower than for the previous gubernatorial election in the prefecture in 2016. The drop came apparently because the poll took place amid the nationwide spread of the new coronavirus.
   Kabashima, a 73-year-old independent, was supported by the prefectural chapters of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito. He also gained the backing of many organizations such as the Kumamoto arm of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo.
   The incumbent beat out his sole contender, 54-year-old independent Seishi Koyama, former mayor of the city of Kumamoto, the capital of the prefecture. Koyama was supported by the prefectural branches of three opposition parties--the Democratic Party for the People, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party.
   Kabashima garnered 437,133 votes against 216,569 for Koyama.