Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has acknowledged that his reelection bid is in "a very critical" state, telling a television interviewer on October 20 that the race has changed completely since the spring as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) challenger Puma Shen surges in the polls ahead of the 2026 Taiwan local elections.
Chiang, of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), made the remarks on ERA News talk show "News Face to Face," hosted by Hsieh Chen-wu. He urged supporters to recognize the urgency of the moment, five weeks before voters go to the polls on November 28.
From Party Booster to Candidate in Need of Rescue
Earlier this year, the KMT had cast Chiang as its biggest electoral asset. The 47-year-old incumbent was expected not only to hold Taipei comfortably but also to lend his popularity to party candidates in New Taipei, Kaohsiung, and other battlegrounds.
Hsieh noted that the dynamic has since flipped. Senior KMT figures, including Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, and legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin, are now being called on to help Chiang, turning a strategy of "one man lifting the whole party" into "the whole party saving one man." The host asked whether Chiang was still able to look beyond Taipei.
"The situation has changed very quickly. It is completely different from April and May," Chiang said. "We have to admit that." He added that he remains confident in KMT candidates across Taiwan and that no one can call the outcome before the final moment.
A 17-Point Poll Deficit Raises the Stakes
The interview aired on the same day a poll commissioned by the Xinmin Cross-Strait Research Association showed Shen leading Chiang 50.3% to 33.3%, a reversal from September, when Chiang held a narrow 41.7% to 40.5% edge. The survey of 1,075 Taipei residents, conducted from October 14 to 16, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.0 percentage points.
The result has been disputed. Commentators, including some in the DPP camp, have questioned the poll's methodology and weighting, and other surveys have shown a closer race. Still, Shen's rallies, dubbed the "Yang Wave" after the last character of his Chinese name, have put the KMT on the defensive in a city it has long regarded as safe ground.
"With 39 days left, we have to steady our footing, rekindle our supporters' enthusiasm, and clearly explain our record of the past four years, item by item," Chiang said. "Our opponent is also energizing supporters through rallies, so we cannot let our guard down."
Chiang Bets on Centrist Voters and His Record
Asked how he would reignite his base, Chiang said the campaign must reach beyond traditional KMT voters to win over centrists. Those voters, he argued, look first at a candidate's governing record and then at personal character and integrity.
Chiang said residents who examine how Taipei has changed over the past four years will be able to tell which policies have delivered real, tangible results. "I believe it can fully withstand scrutiny," he said, pledging to keep making his case to voters before the 2026 Taiwan local elections.
