Taipei: The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) has officially named Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang as its candidate for the 2026 Taichung mayoral race.
According to Focus Taiwan, the announcement was made at a news conference where KMT Secretary-General Lee Chien-lung revealed that Chiang secured the nomination by outperforming another KMT lawmaker, Yang Chiung-ying, in multiple polls. Although the specific poll results were not disclosed, this decision followed a process necessitated by both candidates' initial unwillingness to withdraw from the race during negotiations.
Lee commended both Chiang and Yang for their commitment to democracy and fair competition throughout the polling period. The nomination of a new candidate became imperative as the current Taichung Mayor, Lu Shiow-yen of the KMT, is set to leave office at the end of 2026 after serving the maximum term limit.
During the news conference, Yang expressed her respect for the poll results and pledged her full support for Chiang. She is expected to lend her extensive experience to aid Chiang in his campaign against Legislator Ho Hsin-chun of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the November 2026 election. Yang emphasized the importance of party unity to secure victory in the Taichung mayoral race.
Although Chiang was not present at the news conference, he later addressed the media at the Legislative Yuan. He acknowledged the respect shown to him by Taichung residents, which was reflected in the poll outcomes. Chiang extended his gratitude to Yang for her support and disclosed that he had personally thanked her following his nomination. He highlighted Yang's commitment to contributing to Taichung's future.
Chiang urged for party unity now that the internal competition has concluded, emphasizing the shared objective of continuing KMT's governance in Taichung and advancing the city's development. In response, the DPP's Ho expressed her readiness to contest against Chiang, looking forward to a campaign focused on constructive policies for Taichung's improvement.