Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) last night was granted a second term by voters as she held off a challenge by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌).
Lu’s victory adds to the KMT’s successes in central Taiwan regions, especially as Taichung in July this year grew to overtake Kaohsiung as the nation’s second-largest city, with a population of nearly 2.8 million.
Lu is the first mayor to win a second term since Taichung city and county merged to form a special municipality in 2010.
Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
As of press time, Lu was leading Tsai with nearly 60 percent of the vote with 73 percent of polling stations reporting when Tsai conceded defeat at about 7pm.
“In life when we fall down, then must get up and go forward. We must find out why we stumbled this time,” Tsai said. “It seems we did not work hard enough to earn the confidence of Taichung voters.”
“We must not lose hope from this defeat. We must put in more diligent efforts in the coming years,” he added.
Photo: Chang Hsuan-che, Taipei Times
With his home in Taichung’s Cingshuei District (清水), Tsai promised to continue working to help the city progress. He did not rule out another run for mayor in the next local elections.
Lu took the stage at about 7:20pm to address supporters.
“This is a victory for all Taichung residents, and I will strive to be a great mayor to repay my gratitude,” she said. “Voters have spoken to keep this city on the side of righteousness and morality, and turned their backs on negative campaigning.”
Tsai and DPP officials attributed the defeat to Lu being able to unify pan-blue forces, with influential Taichung politicians joining as campaign managers and top officials, including former KMT chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), Legislator Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) and party powerbroker Yen Kuang-heng (顏寬恒).
Taichung’s position as a KMT stronghold also ensured that the campaign would be an uphill battle for the DPP, they said.
Former Taichung council speaker Lin Min-lin (林敏霖) said during the campaign that Lu united various factions that in the past fought each other for KMT nominations in the region, which weakened the party in the past.
Election officials in Taichung said that about 65 percent of eligible voters went to the polls, higher than usual due to the good weather.
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