TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Democratic Progressive Party legislator Lin Tai-hua (林岱樺) called on her party Wednesday (Sept. 17) to confront declining public support through meaningful reforms as four candidates battle for the 2026 Kaohsiung mayoral nomination. Lin's appeal for restoring public trust comes as she competes against Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩), Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆), and Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) in the heated primary race.
Mirror Daily polling revealed Lai commanding the primary race with 25.9% support, narrowly ahead of Lin's 25.2%. Chiu and Hsu trailed significantly with 15.2% and 11.5% respectively in the internal competition. The survey showed Lai maintaining a 3.3-point advantage over Kuomintang, Taiwan's main opposition party, candidate Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) in general election matchups, while Hsu held a slim 0.9-point lead and Lin remained deadlocked with Ko.
Lin stressed the critical importance of prioritizing genuine public sentiment over superficial promotional statistics in the party's strategic approach. The legislator argued that meaningful reform and electoral success must take precedence over mere numerical achievements. She challenged the Democratic Progressive Party to determine whether reconnecting with voters' hearts matters more than advancing statistical measures.
Chiou I-jen (邱義仁), who leads the Democratic Progressive Party's electoral strategy committee, indicated his preference to finalize all candidate nominations and recruitment processes before the Lunar New Year holiday. The party's timeline for completing these crucial primary decisions remains undetermined despite the approaching traditional celebration period. Party officials continue working to establish a definitive schedule for the selection process. ◼