 Nonaka ultimately supported Ryutaro Hashimoto in the election, but Hashimoto lost to Junichiro Koizumi.Koizumi's politics led to a decline in the power of LDP factions, including Nonaka's.Nonaka vigorously opposed the re-election of Koizumi as LDP president in September 2003, stating that "this election will decide whether Japan will be able to survive or go into decline as a nation."