# Yamagata 3rd district

Yamagata 3rd district (山形県第3区, Yamagata-ken dai-sanku or simply 山形3区, Yamagata-sanku) is a single-member constituency of the House of Representatives in the national Diet of Japan located in Yamagata Prefecture.

## List of representatives

| Election | Representative | Party |
| 1996 | Riichiro Chikaoka [ja] | Liberal Democratic |
| 2000 | Riichiro Chikaoka [ja] | Liberal Democratic |
| 2003 | Koichi Kato | Independent |
| 2005 | Koichi Kato | Liberal Democratic |
| 2009 | Koichi Kato | Liberal Democratic |
| 2012 | Juichi Abe [ja] | Independent |
| 2014 | Ayuko Kato | Liberal Democratic |
| 2017 | Ayuko Kato | Liberal Democratic |
| 2021 | Ayuko Kato | Liberal Democratic |

## Election Results

2021 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Ayuko Kato (Incumbent) | 108,558 | 58.06 | |
| | Independent | Hitomi Abe | 66,320 | 35.47 | New |
| | Communist | Takeshi Umeki | 12,100 | 6.47 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 287,642 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 65.74 | 1.01 |
| | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold |
2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Ayuko Kato (Incumbent) | 103,973 | 52.18 | |
| | Kibō no Tō | Juichi Abe [ja] | 81,708 | 41.01 | New |
| | Communist | Taichi Kato | 11,241 | 5.64 | |
| | Happiness Realization | Ryota Shirotori | 2,329 | 1.17 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 302,085 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 66.75 | 4.79 |
| | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold |
2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Ayuko Kato | 79,872 | 42.86 | |
| | Independent | Juichi Abe [ja] (Incumbent) | 78,384 | 42.06 | |
| | Democratic | Taisei Yoshida | 15,981 | 8.58 | |
| | Communist | Tsuyoshi Hasegawa | 10,794 | 5.79 | |
| | Independent | Makoto Sato | 1,319 | 0.71 | New |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 305,295 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 61.96 | 3.36 |
| | Liberal Democratic gain from Independent | Liberal Democratic gain from Independent | Liberal Democratic gain from Independent | Liberal Democratic gain from Independent | Liberal Democratic gain from Independent |
2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Juichi Abe [ja] | 71,768 | 35.98 | New |
| | Liberal Democratic | Koichi Kato (Incumbent) | 70,303 | 35.24 | |
| | Restoration | Takeharu Sato | 25,299 | 12.68 | New |
| | Social Democratic | Hideo Yoshiizumi [ja] (Incumbent-Tohoku PR block) | 22,930 | 11.50 | |
| | Communist | Tsuyoshi Hasegawa | 9,170 | 4.60 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 311,172 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 65.32 | 8.53 |
| | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic |
2009 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Koichi Kato (Incumbent) | 130,502 | 56.86 | |
| | Social Democratic | Hideo Yoshiizumi [ja] (elected by Tohoku PR block) | 80,362 | 35.01 | |
| | Communist | Tsuyoshi Hasegawa | 13,789 | 6.01 | |
| | Happiness Realization | Ryota Shirotori | 4,880 | 2.13 | New |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 318,892 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 73.85 | 1.65 |
| | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold |
2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Koichi Kato (Incumbent) | 159,486 | 69.58 | |
| | Social Democratic | Hajime Sato | 49,057 | 21.40 | |
| | Communist | Yoshio Misawa | 20,657 | 9.01 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 327,511 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 72.20 | 0.11 |
| | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold |
2003 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Koichi Kato (endorsed by Liberal Democratic) | 137,206 | 58.92 | New |
| | Democratic | Jun Saito [ja] (Incumbent-Yamagata 4th) | 84,946 | 34.20 | |
| | Communist | Masayuki Sato | 10,735 | 4.61 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 72.09 | |
| | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic |
* Kato returned to the LDP after the election.
2000 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democratic | Riichiro Chikaoka [ja] (Incumbent) | 88,069 | 57.22 |
| | Social Democratic | Shosuke Saito | 55,891 | 36.32 |
| | Communist | Mieko Kudo | 9,944 | 6.46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold |
1996 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Riichiro Chikaoka [ja] | 88,389 | 58.08 | New |
| | Independent | Shosuke Saito | 54,640 | 35.90 | New |
| | Communist | Koji Endo | 9,162 | 6.02 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |