村井県政の継承を唱えた腰原愛正氏との差はわずかだった。次のリーダーに誰がふさわしいのか、県民の迷いが表れている。改革の姿勢に加え、旧自治省職員や県の副知事、横浜市の副市長を務めてきた阿部氏の行政経験も、期待に結びついたのだろう。
It was really close. Yoshimasa Koshihara, who advocates the policy of the former governor Jin Murai, lost the gubernatorial election in Nagano prefecture by a narrow margin. The outcome shows the citizen's indecision about whom to vote for the next governor of the prefecture. Along with Mr. Abe's attitude toward implementing reform, his administrative experiences at the former Ministry of Home Affair and his careers as the prefectural vice-governor and the vice-mayor of Yokohama city as well seems to have turned into expectations for the people in Nagano prefecture.
