Browsing: Mayoral race 2026

The latest poll found Lai with 47 percent support and Ko with 30.7 percent. Another 22.3 percent of respondents were undecided.

As the campaign progresses, the “crowdfunding” debate reflects a wider split over whether the government should be a direct financier of local industry or simply a facilitator for private investment.

Liu described the conviction as a “critical life lesson” that taught him humility and a deeper understanding of responsibility. He further urged the public to judge his value not just by a “mistake from many years ago,” but by how he rose from that fall and the contributions he is making to society today.

Polls have shown Lai ahead 45.5%, with Ko at 26.2% — but others have Ko leading Lai 44% to 37.7%, underscoring how fluid the race still appears to be this far from election day.

The visit came as Tsai has remained highly visible on social media after leaving office, with recent appearances alongside Democratic Progressive Party candidates in other parts of Taiwan.

By Eryk Michael Smith / Staff KAOHSIUNG — With his second term nearing its end, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁)…

Notably, 68% of Kuomintang (KMT) supporters expressed satisfaction with his performance, while approval among Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) supporters exceeded 93%.

A brief meeting between the KMT’s Ko Chih-en and the TPP’s Ko Wen-je is drawing attention amid ongoing speculation over a possible KMT–TPP alignment in Kaohsiung, where the race between Ko and the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) will likely narrow despite Lai currently enjoying a large lead in many polls.

Political analyst and lawyer Ross Feingold explained to Kaohsiung Times that “Criminal case judgments are available online, including the judgment in Huang’s case. In other words, the judgment was available to anyone who had bothered to search the court database for Huang’s name, making it likely someone brought this to the attention of the media now in order to damage Huang’s chances of winning a nomination”.

Referring to Chen’s impending departure from city hall later this year, the president said Chen would not be able to relax for long and should be mentally prepared, adding that he would likely shoulder additional responsibilities for Taiwan at the central level.