The Big Media poll points to a question that has followed Lai’s campaign for months: Why has he not built a more comfortable lead in a city where the DPP holds the mayor’s office, all eight district legislative seats and a strong local organization?

By Yu-Jhou (Jonathan) Chen. AI image based on Mayor Chiang’s official portrait. TAIPEI — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) recently said he…

By KHT Staff. Images via 柯志恩 Facebook page. KAOHSIUNG — KMT Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) on Tuesday proposed a four-point…

Polls have varied widely. In early June, one had Lai at 45% and Ko trailing at 25%. Not long after, another poll put Lai at 40.3% and Ko at 39.7%. The spread between those results highlights how unreliable polling can be, and the latest poll is better read as evidence that the race may be tightening.

A Kaohsiung city councilor has said one of Mayor Chen Chi-mai’s (陳其邁) biggest unfinished goals is the long-delayed effort to bring giraffes to Shoushan Zoo (壽山動物園).

She acknowledged that Kaohsiung remains a city where the DPP has more support than the KMT, and said she does not deny that Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) has maintained strong approval ratings. Ko also said previous mayors, including Han, deserved credit for parts of their work. She said Han’s administration, though short-lived, made improvements to roads, drainage, and flood prevention.

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.

Lee Skluzak assumes duties as branch chief on July 2, while Harry R. Thompson will serve as deputy branch chief with responsibility for economic and consular affairs, AIT said.

KMT Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), the party’s Kaohsiung mayoral candidate, had been scheduled to appear on Friday with former Taiwan People’s Party Chair Ko Wen-je at a local temple. The event was canceled after discussions between the two sides, with organizers saying disaster response and public safety would come first. The DPP candidate, Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆), visited flood-control sites early Thursday, including the Zhenzhou Pumping Station (鎮州抽水站) in Cianjhen District (前鎮區) and the Baoye Borough detention pond in Sanmin District (三民區).

As the city’s concert economy draws more political attention, claims have circulated that local borough offices received “community benefit” tickets from concert organizers. The implication was that neighborhood representatives were receiving ticket benefits while residents were still dealing with noise problems.