Former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba was elected by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Friday as its leader and, de facto, the next prime minister.

Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a plain-spoken populist, won leadership of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a runoff vote on Friday.

On Friday, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan chose its new leader— Ishiba Shigeru. It was a tough race, with nine candidates in the mix. Early on, two candidates, Koizumi Shinjiro and Ishiba Shigeru, were the clear favorites with party loyalists as well as the public.