A candidate supported by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling party won the gubernatorial election in Okinawa on Sunday, marking a significant shift in the prefecture’s long-standing opposition to a US military base relocation plan. Genta Koja, 42, defeated incumbent Governor Denny Tamaki, who had advocated for moving the US Marine Corps’ Futenma air base off Okinawa altogether.

Koja’s victory represents the first time in 12 years that a leader endorsing the central government’s plan to retain the base on Okinawa’s main island has been elected. The plan involves relocating the base to a less populated part of the island, a compromise aimed at reducing the impact on local communities. Koja, a former civil servant and deputy mayor of Naha, Okinawa’s capital, focused his campaign on economic development, promising to double the prefecture’s average income, increase local government spending on childcare, and boost tourism investment.

Following his election, Koja emphasized his commitment to addressing “livelihood issues, the economy, and childcare assistance” by engaging with residents across Okinawa. Prime Minister Takaichi expressed her intent to work closely with Koja to promote economic growth on the island, while noting that other key issues would be addressed after discussions with the new governor.

The US military presence has long been a contentious topic in Okinawa, which hosts the majority of the approximately 54,000 US personnel stationed in Japan. Residents have voiced opposition to the bases due to incidents involving US servicemen, including a high-profile rape case in 1995 that sparked widespread protests, as well as ongoing concerns over pollution, noise disturbances, and helicopter crashes.

The original relocation plan was agreed upon by Japan and the US in 1996 following the 1995 incident, with Okinawa’s then-governor Hirokazu Nakaima approving the move in 2013. However, this stance contributed to his defeat in the subsequent election by a candidate who opposed the plan. Tamaki, 66, had been elected on a platform calling for further reduction or removal of US bases and was seeking a third term.

According to official results from the prefectural government, Koja won with 423,124 votes, while Tamaki received 276,060 votes. The election’s outcome may signal a potential easing of tensions surrounding the US military presence, though the issue remains a significant and sensitive topic in Okinawan politics.