KEELUNG (TVBS News) — Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) survived a recall vote on Sunday (Oct. 13), marking a significant victory as the first Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) local leader to overcome such a challenge.
The recall failed to meet the required threshold under the Civil Servants Election And Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), securing Hsieh's position without further recall proposals during his term.
Of the 310,797 eligible voters, 156,776 participated, resulting in a 50.44% turnout. Voters cast 86,014 ballots, or 55.16%, against recalling Hsieh, while 69,934, or 44.84%, supported the recall.
Despite this victory, Hsieh faces signs of declining support. In the 2022 Keelung mayoral election, he received 96,784 votes, but only 86,014 opposed the recall, indicating a drop of 10,770 votes.
Since taking office, Hsieh has had to address ongoing city issues, including unresolved traffic problems and stalled infrastructure projects. Despite these challenges, he expressed gratitude for the citizens' support, stating he would "use his life to protect the people of Keelung."