Tanigaki declared his candidacy for the LDP presidency on July 28, 2006, but came in third place in a three-way race against Shinzō Abe and Tarō Asō.
Tanigaki mendeklarasikan pengkandidatannya untuk kepresidenan PDL pada 28 Juli 2006, namun hanya menempati tempat ketiga dalam tiga putaran melawan Shinzō Abe dan Tarō Asō.