By KHT Staff. AI illustration image.
KAOHSIUNG — Taiwan’s opposition parties need a long-term strategy for Kaohsiung and Tainan if they hope to compete seriously for national power, a political commentator argued in an opinion article published Tuesday.
Writing for China Times, academic and political commentator Wang Chih-hsiung (汪志雄) said the 2026 local elections should be viewed as preparation for future presidential contests rather than simply a fight over individual city and county seats.
Wang argued that the DPP’s continued strength in Kaohsiung and Tainan gives it more than local control. The two cities also serve as important sources of political talent, grassroots organization, and policy experience, he wrote.
Opposition parties, by contrast, have often concentrated resources in northern Taiwan and a limited number of competitive districts, treating southern cities as difficult or unwinnable, according to Wang.
He said that approach creates a cycle in which weak investment leads to weaker local organizations, fewer experienced young politicians, and continued electoral losses.
The article compared the situation with the U.S. Democratic Party’s “50-state strategy,” introduced by former party chairman Howard Dean in the mid-2000s. That approach called for building party organizations in every state, including areas where short-term victories appeared unlikely.
Wang argued that Taiwan’s opposition parties should adopt a similar long-term approach by maintaining local services and developing young candidates rather than mainly appearing during election campaigns.
He also said opposition parties need policies designed specifically for southern Taiwan, including proposals addressing wages, industrial development, transportation, aging populations, and healthcare.
The article pointed to the KMT’s victory in Kaohsiung’s 2018 mayoral election as evidence that political loyalties can change, but conceded that such breakthroughs cannot replace sustained organization.
Wang called for opposition parties to think in terms of a 10-year political plan rather than a single election cycle.
He said genuine political competition requires entering an opponent’s strongest territory and gradually earning voter trust through local work.
The article was published in the China Times opinion section and represents Wang’s views, not those of the newspaper or Kaohsiung Times.
