Niigata 1st district

Niigata 1st district (新潟県第1区, Nigata dai-ikku or 新潟1区, Nigata ikku) is a constituency of the House of Representatives in the National Diet of Japan (national legislature), represented by Chinami Nishimura of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan since 2017. It is located in Niigata City, the capital of Niigata Prefecture, and covers central parts of former Niigata City (before 2007). It has the smallest district area among the House districts in Niigata Prefecture. As of 2017, 439,968 eligible voters were registered in the district

History 
Before 1996, the amendment of Public Offices Election Act that introduced FPTP “small” voting system, this area had been part of former Niigata 1st district where three Representatives had been elected by single non-transferable vote. The two candidates contesting the former 1st district, Rokuzaemon Yoshida (LDP) and Nobuyuki Sekiyama (DPJ) had continued to run until 2000.

In General Election 2003, Democratic Party of Japan has fielded Chinami Nishimura, former Member of Niigata Prefecture Assembly, and she defeated Yoshida in 2003, 2005 and 2009 elections. In 2012, when Democratic Party of Japan lost the reins of government, Toru Ishizaki, a new LDP candidate, defeated Nishimura. In 2014, Nishimura was defeated again, but elected through the proportional representation block.

In General Election 2017, Nishimura joined the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and defeated Ishizaki. Ishizaki was elected through the proportional representation block.

Election Results

References 

Category:Districts of the House of Representatives (Japan)