Hayashi to Run for LDP Leadership, Joining Crowded Field

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, aged 64, is set to announce his candidacy for the leadership election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday. Sources familiar with the matter confirmed this on Sunday. He intends to address reporters, explaining his motivations for entering the race to succeed the outgoing Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba. This will be Hayashi's third attempt to secure the party presidency, having previously run in 2012 and 2024.

Several other prominent figures have already declared their intentions to run. Former LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi, 69, and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, 50, have officially announced their candidacies. Additionally, Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, has indicated his desire to run to his close associates and supporters in his Kanagawa Prefecture constituency. Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, 64, is also scheduled to hold a press conference this week to formally announce her candidacy.

Hayashi's political career began in 1995 when he was elected to the House of Councillors, representing the Yamaguchi constituency. After serving five terms in the upper house, he transitioned to the House of Representatives, winning the 2021 election in the Yamaguchi No. 3 Constituency. He is currently in his second term in the lower house.

Throughout his career, Hayashi has held several key ministerial positions. He has served as both agriculture minister and foreign minister. In December 2023, he was appointed chief cabinet secretary under former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He was subsequently reappointed to the same position in the Ishiba Cabinet when it was formed in October 2024.