ITO, Shizuoka Prefecture--Former city assembly member Kazuya Sugimoto was elected Ito mayor on Dec. 14, as voters sent a strong message that they want to move on from a half-year of political turmoil.

The mayoral election was necessitated by the removal from office of Maki Takubo, 55, who came under fire over falsified academic credentials.

Takubo sought re-election but fell well short of victory.

Sugimoto, 43, who was endorsed by the Democratic Party for the People, gained 13,522 votes to win his first mayoral post.

“I will move the stalled city administration forward,” Sugimoto said on the night of Dec. 14, after his victory became certain. “I will show that I can change Ito city.”

In second place was former Ito Mayor Tatsuya Ono, 62, endorsed by the Liberal Democratic Party, who secured 10,962 votes.

Takubo received 4,131 votes, finishing in third place.

A record-high nine people entered the mayoral race.

The number of eligible voters on election day was 56,348, and the voter turnout was 60.54 percent, surpassing the previous election’s 49.65 percent.

Takubo, once a city assembly member, was elected mayor in May this year by winning 14,684 votes and defeating incumbent Ono, who was seeking a third term.

However, calls for Takubo to step down escalated after her statement about graduating from Toyo University was found to be false.

She continued to refuse to resign but was removed from office on Oct. 31 when the city assembly passed a no-confidence motion against her.

In the election campaign, Takubo appealed to voters with such statements as, “I want to break the structure of cronyism and vested interests and create a new city.”

Her campaign staff said they planned to release a message on social media about the election results.

According to the city, the mayoral election cost 37 million yen ($238,000) to hold.

The city assembly election, triggered after Takubo dissolved the assembly, in October cost 63 million yen, bringing total election expenditures to 100 million yen.