key takeaways
- Koizumi Shinjirō is on the defensive after his campaign’s communications director quit amidst accusations that she violated party rules.
- This scandal comes after a poll showed Koizumi’s support sliding with Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) rank-and-file supporters, suggesting that with a week left in the campaign, the race could still shift.
- A runoff between Koizumi and Takaichi Sanae remains the most likely outcome, but the possibility of Koizumi again finishing outside of the top two is climbing.