By RK Shih/Staff. Image via TVBS.
KAOHSIUNG — Political commentator Wu Tzu-chia (吳子嘉) says the 2026 Kaohsiung mayoral race is becoming far more competitive than many in the Democratic Progressive Party expected, arguing that DPP candidate Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) has shown weakness and that the party’s central leadership lacks the capacity to step in and rescue the campaign. Wu, speaking on online political programs cited by local media, said the gap between Lai and Kuomintang candidate Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) had narrowed to the point that the race could flip. TVBS on April 19 carried Wu’s latest remarks, in which he framed the situation as good news for Ko.
However, the public polling record so far has been mixed rather than uniformly pro-Ko. A Newtalk poll reported in early February showed Lai ahead of Ko 43.9% to 32.3%, while an EBC-commissioned poll reported later that month put Lai at 45.5% and Ko at 26.2%. On the other hand, an ETtoday poll reported in January showed Ko leading Lai 44% to 37.7%, underscoring how fluid the race still appears to be this far from election day.
Ko has leaned into the narrative. According to United Daily News, she said Lai appears to need repeated boosts from bigger DPP names, including former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), and even President Lai Ching-te (賴清德). But that line of attack also cuts against the broader polling evidence available so far, which does not yet show a settled collapse in Lai’s support. Lai won the DPP primary in January through a party-sanctioned telephone poll and was formally positioned as the party’s nominee months ago, suggesting the party has already consolidated behind him, even if outside commentators now argue the race is tightening.
