Japan finds out its next leader on Friday when the ruling party of outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida picks his replacement in a key vote that could affect the country’s political stability in coming months.

A record nine candidates are fighting to replace outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, amid public scandals and financial despair.

TOKYO (AP) — The governing party of outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds a key vote Friday that will establish a new national leader.

Former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba won the race to lead Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Friday and replace incumbent prime minister Fumio Kishida as the country's next leader. The winner of the LDP's leadership election is all but assured to become prime minister given the party's control over parliament's powerful lower chamber.

Japan’s governing party on Friday picked former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba as its leader. The party leadership is a ticket to the top job because the Liberal Democratic Party’s governing coalition controls parliament.

A crucial party election in Japan on Friday will determine the nation’s new prime minister. The vote by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party will technically choose a new party leader, but since the party has a decades-long stranglehold on power,

- Candidates of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, from left, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi,

Japan’s ruling party picks former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba as leader. He will become prime minister next week.