In order to run in the election, a candidate must have the support of at least twenty LDP MPs. Since there are 387 LDP
Diet members and 141 prefectural LDP representatives (three for each of the 47 prefectural chapters), there is a total of 528 votes. Former finance minister
Sadakazu Tanigaki announced on 13 September 2009 he would stand in the election. Tanigaki had also been a candidate in the
2006 leadership election, where he came in third place behind
Shinzō Abe and
Tarō Asō.
Yasutoshi Nishimura and
Tarō Kōno (son of former LDP leader
Yōhei Kōno) are the other two announced candidates. Agriculture minister
Shigeru Ishiba was also considered a possible candidate, but he did not stand.
Declared Recommenders ==Campaign==