# Akita 3rd district

Akita 3rd district is a constituency of the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan.

## History

The district was created after the 1994 electoral reform. Initially, the seat was given to Kanzo Muraoka, who had previously served as Chief Cabinet Secretary, while Hidefumi Minorikawa was elected proportionally, as a deal to let both hold seats in the House of Representatives. However, after Hidefumi died in 2003, the deal dissolved. His son, Nobuhide Minorikawa, challenged Muraoka as an independent. Nobuhide managed to defeat Muraoka in the 2003 election, securing the seat.
Muraoka was indicted in the Japan Dental Federation Black Donation Case [ja], so did not run in the 2005 election. Instead, his second son, Toshihide Muraoka, ran instead. He lost to Minorikawa again. They held a rematch in 2009, but this time were upstaged by DPJ-ite Kimiko Kyono, leaving both of the others without seats. By 2012, Kyono had joined the TPJ, as DPJ and other splinter candidates struggled across the country. Both Toshihide and Minorikawa ran for the seat, and Minorikawa won. Toshihide had joined the conservative opposition Japan Restoration Party, and was elected proportionally from the group.
In 2014, Toshihide and Minorikawa battled again, and Minorikawa won. However, the final margin of votes was just under 6,000, and Toshihide was resurrected again with the JIP. In 2017, Toshihide joined Kibō no Tō to challenge Minorikawa under the party. However, he was defeated by six points, and Toshihide was unable to be resurrected proportionally due to the poor performance of Kibō nationwide.
Toshihide did not run for the seat in 2021, and Minorikawa only faced a JCP challenger who was dispatched by a wide margin.
In 2024, four candidates ran, the most since 2012. Not only was Toshihide back under the DPP banner to challenge Minorikawa, but both a CDP challenger, Ikuyo Ogawa, was present, along with another JCP candidate, Kazuhisa Fujita. In the end, Toshihide finally succeeded in unseating Minorikawa; it was the first time in the five elections Toshihide had run in that he had unseated Minorikawa, and the first time in the district's history a non-LDP affiliate had won. Minorikawa was nevertheless resurrected proportionally. It was also the first time since 2000 that a Muraoka won the district.

## List of representatives

| Representative | Party | Years served | Notes |
| Kenzo Muraoka | LDP | 1996-2003 | |
| Nobuhide Minorikawa | Ind. | 2003-2004 | |
| Nobuhide Minorikawa | LDP | 2004-2009 | Dissolved independent caucus and joined the LDP. |
| Kimiko Kyono | DPJ | 2009-2011 | |
| Kimiko Kyono | PLF | 2011 | Participated in founding of PLF. |
| Kimiko Kyono | TPJ | 2011-2012 | Joined TPJ when PLF merged. Lost re-election. |
| Nobuhide Minorikawa | LDP | 2009-2024 | Lost re-election. Revived on proportional block. |
| Toshihide Muraoka | DPP | 2024- | |

## Election results

2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DPP | Toshihide Muraoka | 83,001 | 45.03 | New |
| | LDP | Nobuhide Minorikawa (won a seat in PR block) | 74,722 | 40.54 | 37.41 |
| | CDP | Ogawa Ikuyo | 22,043 | 11.96 | New |
| | JCP | Kazuhisa Fujita | 4,562 | 2.47 | 19.58 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 184,32 | 61.60 | 5.71 |
| | DPP gain from LDP | DPP gain from LDP | DPP gain from LDP | DPP gain from LDP | DPP gain from LDP |
2021 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | LDP | Nobuhide Minorikawa | 134,734 | 77.95 | 27.38 |
| | JCP | Akira Sugiyama | 38,118 | 22.05 | 16.74 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 172,852 | 55.89 | 8.33 |
| | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold |
2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | LDP | Nobuhide Minorikawa | 107,432 | 50.57 | 2.78 |
| | Kibō no Tō | Toshihide Muraoka | 93,746 | 44.13 | New |
| | JCP | Akira Tomioka | 11,274 | 5.31 | 1.97 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 212,452 | 64.22 | 6.14 |
| | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold |
2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | LDP | Nobuhide Minorikawa | 94,096 | 47.79 | 5.11 |
| | Ishin | Toshihide Muraoka | 88,483 | 44.94 | New |
| | JCP | Keiko Wagatsuma | 14,333 | 7.28 | 2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 196,912 | 54.08 | 5.85 |
| | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold |
2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | LDP | Nobuhide Minorikawa | 97,164 | 42.68 | 9.38 |
| | Restoration | Toshihide Muraoka | 74,422 | 32.69 | New |
| | Tomorrow | Kimiko Kyono | 25,185 | 11.06 | New |
| | Democratic | Mariko Matsui | 23,665 | 10.40 | 27.02 |
| | JCP | Chouemon Sato | 7,211 | 3.17 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 227,647 | 65.64 | 10.06 |
| | LDP gain from Tomorrow | LDP gain from Tomorrow | LDP gain from Tomorrow | LDP gain from Tomorrow | LDP gain from Tomorrow |
2009 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Kimiko Kyono | 101,777 | 37.42 | 7.59 |
| | LDP | Nobuhide Minorikawa | 90,575 | 33.30 | 8.02 |
| | Independent | Toshihide Muraoka | 76,787 | 28.23 | 0.62 |
| | Happiness Realization | Atsushi Nishimoto | 2,847 | 1.05 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 271,986 | 75.70 | 1.07 |
| | Democratic gain from LDP | Democratic gain from LDP | Democratic gain from LDP | Democratic gain from LDP | Democratic gain from LDP |
2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | LDP | Nobuhide Minorikawa | 114,228 | 41.32 | 2.23 |
| | Democratic | Kimiko Kyono | 82,480 | 29.83 | New |
| | Independent | Toshihide Muraoka | 79,759 | 28.85 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 276,467 | 74.63 | 2.45 |
| | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold |
2003 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Nobuhide Minorikawa | 133,981 | 49.68 | New |
| | LDP | Kenzo Muraoka | 117,453 | 43.55 | 19.45 |
| | JCP | Keiko Wagatsuma | 18,276 | 6.78 | 0.67 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 269,710 | 74.63 | |
| | Independent gain from LDP | Independent gain from LDP | Independent gain from LDP | Independent gain from LDP | Independent gain from LDP |
2000 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | LDP | Kenzo Muraoka | 170,176 | 63.00 | 5.11 |
| | Democratic | Tatsuro Nakajima | 45,572 | 16.87 | New |
| | Liberal | Tomoki Sasayama | 37,876 | 14.02 | New |
| | JCP | Masao Waga | 16,517 | 6.11 | 3.25 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 270,141 | | |
| | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold |
1996 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | LDP | Kenzo Muraoka | 150,956 | 57.89 | New |
| | New Frontier | Hajime Terada | 85,390 | 32.75 | New |
| | JCP | Toshio Fuji | 24,405 | 9.36 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 260,751 | | |
| | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold |