Tokyo: Governor Yuriko Koike favored to win reelection for handling virus

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike was poised to be reelected on Sunday, buoyed by public support for her coronavirus handling despite a recent rise in infections that has raised concerns of a resurgence of the disease.

The first woman to head the Japanese capital, the 67-year-old is also viewed as a potential candidate to succeed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when his term ends in September 2021.

For now, she says she's focused on protecting the lives of the 14 million people in Tokyo, a megacity with a 1 trillion US dollar economy.

Tokyo's infections started to rebound in late June, reaching new 131 confirmed cases on Saturday, topping 100 for a third straight day and hitting a two-month high since early May.

New daily cases have also spiked in recent weeks nationwide to about 19,700 with 977 deaths.

Koike's challengers include popular actor-turned-politician Taro Yamamoto and veteran lawyer Kenji Utsunomiya.

Yamamoto wants to cancel the Tokyo Olympics and use the funds to help people hurt by the coronavirus crisis, while Utsunomiya, known as the Bernie Sanders of Japan, is calling for better welfare support for a more inclusive and diverse society.

Results are expected soon after polls close Sunday night.

A recent poll by the Mainichi newspaper has Koike leading her challengers by a wide margin.

(Image credit: AP)