In 2021, the Shizuoka prefectural assembly advised him to resign after he said that the city of Gotemba "only has koshihikari" as its local specialty due to the slush fund scandal.

[3][4] During a speech to newly-employed civil servants on 1 April 2024, he made derogatory remarks comparing employees of the prefectural government with "those who sell vegetables, take care of cows or create things."

The resulting uproar led to him announcing his resignation on 2 April following the June prefectural assembly.

[5] However, he clarified on 3 April that he was resigning due to his opposition to the Chuo Shinkansen maglev route and not for his remarks, which he did not retract, although he apologized "for hurting the feelings of people working in the primary sector.

[11] The Mayor of Nagoya, a city on the maglev, said "Mr. Suzuki has a deep understanding of industry, so I think he will get the project done quickly.