KHK Newsline: Election Report with Miyuki Takanawa
Miyuki Takanawa, KHK Presenter
Good evening, and welcome to the election report broadcast of KHK Newsline. I am your host Miyuki Takanawa, reporting live from our studios in Asahi, Shinji. The Federal Election Bureau has reported that the official ballot count has now neared 50% nationwide, with some states already finishing their own. We are now awaiting results from the first state to reach 100% counted ballots.
The rural state of Iwa is the first state to submit the full results of the 2025 presidential elections. There were 67,858 valid ballots cast and 52.11% of those went to the Reformist candidate Sanae Haneichi while 47.89% were for the Liberal candidate Hideki Kajiwara. Iwa, a traditionally blue state, has become a swing in this election as the victory of Haneichi successfully turned it green. Haneichi's successful campaigning in the state has secured her a popular image, and the rice shortages going on has lately damaged Kajiwara's approval rates since Iwa is an agricultural state. Haneichi is confirmed as the winning candidate in the Iwa state.
The state of Uzuoka has officially declared all of valid casted ballots counted as 264,592 total votes are confirmed by the Federal Election Commission. As another traditionally blue state, Uzuoka was a battleground for this year as the Reformist candidate Sanae Haneichi was only defeated by 0.02 points, an extremely close call that Kyonese elections rarely witness. Still, Haneichi managed to get 49.92% out of a stronghold state, while Kajiwara emerged as the projected winning candidate.
The state of Watari has officially called Sanae Haneichi as its projected winner after a landslide vote of 72.43% was counted in her support. Watari is a stronghold green state and has been one of the strongest supporters of the Haneichi Campaign since it was announced earlier this year. 564,558 total valid ballots were cast in total, one of the highest voter turnouts in Watari, and it has once again voted green.
The state of Koijido has ended the ballot count by 100%, as Sanae Haneichi of the Reform Party has won over the Koijidese vote by 52.08%. Kajiwara was widely speculated to be the victor in the state, but after a series of scandals and the rice shortages, the approval rate of the Liberal party plummeted by a total of six points. Koijido has voted Reformist for a consistent four election terms since the candidacy of Tetsuya Kitamura in 2013.
Hitachi is the first big state to report all of its ballots counted with Haneichi as its projected winner by 67.40%, while Kajiwara lags behind by 32.60%. A green state, Hitachi has voted Reform since Tamako Honekawa's presidential campaign in 1977, and has once again voted green for this year.
It seems that some Liberal states are becoming swings this year, what do you think, Tōkai-san?
Hideo Tōkai, KHK Co-Presenter
The Liberals frankly mismanoevred themselves into a tough position this year. Right now, it is almost impossible to buy rice at the markets unless you are willing to pay triple the amount you were used to pay. Along with that, we are seeing Hideki Kajiwara as this year's candidate, who notoriously has bad blood with the moderate faction of his party. We know Kajiwara is not a popular candidate, especially compared to other nominees of the Liberal National Convention, such as Shin'ichi Aung.
Miyuki Takanawa, KHK Presenter
Some say Aung was not chosen because he is of Anmativedan descent. What do you think about this claim?
Hideo Tōkai, KHK Co-Presenter
I wouldn't say far-fetched. Kyowara still has a long way to go in terms of tolerance and coexistence. And this coming from Liberals, a party that boasts itself as the foundation of inclusion and progress, has also harmed Kajiwara's performance. Even so that a number of registered Liberals are now saying they will vote for Haneichi on Twitcher and ToYo.
Miyuki Takanawa, KHK Presenter
Do you think this trend can flip some of the big blue states, like Mizuho or Yamato, to Haneichi's favour?
Hideo Tōkai, KHK Co-Presenter
Certainly. Reformist made a master move by having a moderate, or even some could say "progressive" figure as their candidate. Normally, elections are between two fanatic groups, but Haneichi is not a textbook conservative, so it gives her the advantage of courting some of unsatisfied Liberal voters, along with left-leaning undecided voters. This is the first time Liberals are not allowed to use polarisation as their secret weapon, I think.
Miyuki Takanawa, KHK Presenter
Interesting, thank you Tōkai-san. Now, dear viewers, we will be having a commercial break and after, we will continue reporting on the election results. Stay tuned.
Yako State is now reporting their results after all ballots are counted and Hideki Kajiwara is leading with 53.14% of the votes, one of the lowest share of votes a Liberal candidate has got since the campaign of Daisuke Aizawa in 1977. Haneichi's 46.86% share of vote is significant compared to last election when Reformist candidate Mitsuki Watai got only 19.16% in the state.
The great State of Yamato is now reporting their results, and it seems that Liberals have lost all ground against Reformists, turning Yamato solid green for the first time in decades. Yamato is a traditionally blue state, and Haneichi winning over Yamatese vote is not only revolutionary, but the sixty-two point difference between two candidates is the most dramatic difference we have seen so far. Haneichi has officially flipped Yamato green, while Liberals of the state are reportedly in disarray.
The next state to report their counted votes is Ginfu, which has been a major win for the Liberals and Hideki Kajiwara, who have been consistently winning over the state for the last five elections. Unlike most states, Ginfu's Liberal vote has decreased ever-so slightly from its previous 70.12% point mark, Kajiwara projected as the winning candidate.
The largest state in the Union and the home to Shinji City - Tohiro has officially counted all of its 36 million ballots. According to the Electoral Commission, Sanae Haneichi has led the race by fourteen-point margin. Kajiwara's campaign attempts has been largely unsuccessful in Tohiro, which is both a swing and a crucial state because of its powerful status and its large population.
Kuchita is the next state to report their results as a less than one point margin resulted in the victory of Hideki Kajiwara. Sanae Haneichi has secured a vote of forty-nine points, highest a Reformist has ever got in the 21st century, and Kajiwara has been projected as the winning candidate of the state.
Akaihana is now reporting their results - the Election Commission of Akaihana State says that 64.07% of the votes have been in Sanae Haneichi's favour, while Hideki Kajiwara has managed to garner 35.93%, keeping Akaihana green. Haneichi has been projected as Akaihana state's projected winner.
Hashiseki is now reporting their results, Sanae Haneichi winning the race with a fifty-two point lead against Hideki Kajiwara, tipping the scales once more in Hashiseki. Hashiseki has become a swing state since the 2013 elections, and it has leaned Reform in the polls since the declaration of Haneichi's candidacy. Sanae Haneichi is the projected winner of the state.
