2015 Hyogo prefectural election
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The 2015 Hyōgo prefectural election (2015年兵庫県議会議員選挙, 2015-nen Hyōgo Kengikai Giin Senkyo) was an election for the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly held on 12 April 2015 as part of the 2015 unified local elections in Japan. The election saw the number of assembly members reduced from 89 to 87 and the number of electoral districts reduced from 41 to 40. Voting was held in 23 districts and representatives for the remaining 17 districts (including the two-member district of Tatsuno-Ibo) were elected unopposed.[1][2] The election was held in the wake of the political expenses scandal that was exposed in July 2014 involving multiple assembly members and was notable for former assemblyman Ryutaro Nonomura's outburst of uncontrolled sobbing at a news conference.
The election saw the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) maintain their position as the largest group in the assembly with a total of 40 seats (official candidates plus independents endorsed by the party), although the party was unable to secure the 44 seats required for an outright majority. Of the other major parties, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) was reduced from 16 seats to 11, while Komeito had all 13 of their candidates elected. The Japan Innovation Party, which was contesting the unified local elections for the first time, won nine seats.[3] Voter turnout was 40.55%, a reduction of 0.88% compared to the 2011 election.[4] Following the election, the LDP's Noriyuki Ishikawa and Ryosuke Ueda were elected speaker and vice-speaker of the assembly.[5]