Within days of the prime minister’s announcement, local media speculated about nearly a dozen possible candidates.

Before Ishida announced his candidacy, 49-year-old former Minister of Economic Security Takayuki Kobayashi was the first to announce his candidacy.

Others mentioned as possible candidates include 43-year-old former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, three female party veterans, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and former Gender Equality Minister Seiko Noda, as well as former number two, Digital Minister Taro Kono.

Each candidate needs the support of 20 party legislators to run, and it usually takes time to gather that support.

LDP Election Committee Chairman Ichiro Aisawa said on August 20 that his party takes seriously the loss of public confidence caused by the scandals and has set a 15-day campaign period, instead of the usual 12 days, starting on September 12, to give voters more time to study the candidates’ views and policies.

He also called on potential candidates to make their campaign as sober as possible, “taking into account the public criticism of money and politics.”

Voters cast their votes under a system that divides power between the party’s elected legislators and the remaining members, with each group receiving 50 percent of the vote.

Additional reporting from the Associated Press