2009 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) presidential election

The 2009 Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election was held on August 31, 2009, to elect the President of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. This election was particularly significant as it occurred shortly before the 2009 general election, in which the LDP was vying to maintain its dominance in Japanese politics. The winner of the presidential election would become the leader of the party and, if the LDP had remained in power, would have become Prime Minister.

The election was triggered by the resignation of Prime Minister Taro Aso following widespread criticism of his leadership and declining public support for the LDP. The party sought a fresh face and new policies to revitalize its image and appeal to voters.

Three candidates contested the presidency: Kaoru Yosano, Yasuo Fukuda, and Sadakazu Tanigaki. Yosano positioned himself as a fiscal conservative, while Fukuda, a former Prime Minister, hoped to regain leadership. Tanigaki, a former Minister of Finance, advocated for a more moderate approach.

The election was conducted through a vote by LDP Diet members and prefectural chapters. Each Diet member held one vote, and each prefectural chapter was allocated three votes.

Sadakazu Tanigaki won the election, defeating Yosano and Fukuda. He became the new President of the LDP, succeeding Taro Aso. However, his tenure as president was immediately challenging, as the LDP suffered a historic defeat in the general election held on August 30, 2009, losing power to the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Tanigaki thus became the leader of the opposition. He served as LDP president until 2012.