TAIPEI (TVBS News) — In the latest public opinion poll released on Monday (Oct. 23), Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leads with 29.7% support, followed by Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) with 25.6%, and Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang (KMT) with 21.1%.
The poll by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF) examined a hypothetical three-way race for the 2024 Taiwan Presidential Election between Lai, Hou, and Ko.
As it turns out, Lai's support has dropped from 33.4% last month to 29.7%, reaching a low not seen since March, marking a 3.7 percentage point decrease.
Ko's backing also decreased from 27.4% to 25.6%, the lowest since June. However, the 4.1 percentage point gap between him and Lai is the smallest it has ever been.
Conversely, Hou's support saw a rise of 3.9 percentage points, climbing from 17.2% to 21.1%, marking a personal high.
TPOF chair You Ying-lung emphasized that the narrowing gap between Lai and other candidates should be taken as a significant warning.
You noted that although the past five months have been a low point for Hou's campaign, his impressive September visit to the U.S. and the support of former Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu have gradually boosted his popularity.