2026 Elections: Taipei mayoral rivals step up campaigns; back allies in Kaohsiung

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) campaign called on supporters yesterday to join a Nov. 14 march and rally, while Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) challenger Puma Shen (沈伯洋) led a campaign motorcade through two Taipei districts.

The two Taipei mayoral candidates also backed their parties’ candidates at separate rallies in Kaohsiung, with Chiang appearing in person while Shen sent a prerecorded video three weeks before the Nov. 28 local elections.

At a press conference yesterday, Chiang’s Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) campaign unveiled a poster for the march that played on the character “an” (安) in his name to emphasize reassurance and stability.

Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen, left on top of the vehicle, and Minister of Sports Lee Yang, right on top of the vehicle, wave to the crowd during a motorcade in Taipei yesterday.

Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

The march, first announced Thursday, is scheduled to start at 2:30 pm from two locations, Chiang’s campaign headquarters on Nanjing East Road and Daan Park. The two groups will converge for a rally outside Taipei City Hall.

KMT Legislator Lee Yen-shiu (李彥秀), who oversees organizing for Chiang’s campaign, said Chiang would walk with supporters along one of the two routes.

Meanwhile, Minister of Sports Lee Yang (李洋) joined Shen’s motorcade, which set out from the LOHAS Park extension in Neihu (內湖). Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) was scheduled to speak at the final stop at Dahu Park.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, left, and Chinese Nationaliast Party’s (KMT) Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Ko Chih-en, right, hold up hands during a campaign event in Kaohsiung yesterday.

Photo: CNA

Before setting out, Shen said his invitation to Lee was tied to his policy proposals for Neihu and Nangang (南港), though he did not explain how.

In Kaohsiung’s Cishan District (旗山), Chiang joined KMT mayoral candidate Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) onstage and called for closer cooperation between Taipei and Kaohsiung. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) also spoke in support of Ko.

Ko said resources had been distributed unevenly since the merger of Kaohsiung City and County, and she pledged to set up an office to address those disparities within her first month in office if elected.

At the DPP rally in Gangshan District (岡山), President William Lai (賴清德) and Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) appeared in support of mayoral candidate Lai Jui- lung (賴瑞隆).

In a video message in Taiwanese, Shen asked the crowd to encourage their friends in Taipei to vote for him and help the DPP win in both cities.