News Marathon 5: Kamada to run for Sendai City Mayor, Leaves DPJ in search of a new career in local politics

Kyodo:

Former Democratic Party of Japan Lower House Member Sayuri Kamada (40) announced at meeting of her supporters’ association (Koenkai) on the 29th that she will run for Mayor of Sendai-shi (election to be announced July 17, with voting on the 31st) as an independent. She plans to inform DPJ officials of her intention to leave the party soon.

Kamada won her second term in the Lower House in the Miyagi 2nd district in 2003, but after discovery of election law violations with an official in her camp she resigned her posts to take responsibility. In a decision of a guilt-by-association suit, she was banned from running for office in the same district for 5 years.

According to a source within the Prefectural chapter of the DPJ, there is strong criticism that, “The citizens will not accept Kamada’s bid for the office of mayor,” and her response to the movement supporting Tomiko Okazaki (61) will be followed closely. In the same race, Prefectural Rep. Susumu Kanma (54) and former METI Commerce Negotiator Katsuhiko Umebara (51) have announced their candidacies as independents.