ニュース 2010/08/08 DPJ-backed candidate elected in Nagano gubernatorial On August 8, the Nagano gubernatorial was held, and Shuichi Abe, an independent candidate backed by the DPJ, the SDP and the PNP, was elected for the first time, defeating candidates backed by the LDP and Komeito and by the Communist Party. Abe served as deputy governor to former Governor Yasuo Tanaka, and was also involved in the DPJ administration’s budget review process. During the campaign he called for a similar style of budget review to be carried out in Nagano prefecture.