Chiang Wan-an invites Lu Hsiu-yen to lead campaign headquarters as KMT unites

Taipei City Mayor Chiang Wan-an officially announced the core structure of his re-election campaign team today. The appointment that has drawn the most attention from the political arena and society at large is the invitation extended to fellow Kuomintang (KMT) Taichung City Mayor Lu Shiow-yen to personally serve as the chairwoman of the campaign headquarters. At the same time, the campaign team has also recruited five KMT legislators to serve as vice chairmen, demonstrating a strong momentum of unity and an ambition for cross-regional cooperation. This personnel arrangement not only marks the official kickoff of Chiang's battle for the capital but is also seen as a significant gathering of the KMT's mid-generation political stars, holding landmark significance for stabilizing the pan-Blue camp's electoral prospects.

At the press conference held today, aside from the combat readiness configuration of the campaign team itself, the media also closely watched whether this local election would serve as a stepping stone for the KMT to layout its future central government power. When pressed by reporters on whether this golden combination heralds the possibility of the Blue camp returning to power in 2028, Chiang gave a pragmatic and overall-situation-conscious response. He explicitly stated that the KMT's goal for 2028 will definitely be to fully support the strongest candidate within the party, demonstrating the highest principle of uniting to win, while focusing his current attention entirely on Taipei City's municipal construction and striving for re-election.

Reviewing Chiang Wan-an's governance trajectory since taking office as Taipei City Mayor, although he has demonstrated a fresh outlook on many major municipal issues, governing the capital has always been closely watched. Faced with council oversight, high standards of scrutiny from citizens, and complex central-local interactions, every detail of governance is scrutinized under a magnifying glass. In seeking re-election this time, Chiang has chosen a steady strategy, inviting Lu Shiow-yen—a prominent leader whose governance satisfaction rating in Taichung City is frequently among the top—to come out of the local arena and serve as campaign chairwoman. This is clearly an attempt to draw upon Lu's rich experience accumulated in local governance and her cross-party vote-drawing ability to provide a strong boost to his electoral prospects.

Aside from Lu Shiow-yen overseeing the campaign as chairwoman, the inclusion of five KMT legislators as vice chairmen is similarly fraught with political strategic considerations. In Taiwan's electoral ecosystem, legislators are not only lawmakers in the parliament but also key local pillars and representatives of public opinion. Having five incumbent legislators serve as vice chairmen can effectively integrate parliamentary oversight power with local grassroots organizations, closely combining central policy discourse with local constituent services. This team model of "legislators lending a hand, mayor sprinting forward" helps Chiang consolidate his base during the campaign and further expand his vote sources among centrist voters and younger demographics.

From a broader political perspective, the joint effort between Lu Shiow-yen and Chiang Wan-an is not merely an electoral arrangement for a single city or county; it also symbolizes the formation and connection of the KMT's mid-generation succession echelon. Lu enjoys exceptionally high prestige and interpersonal harmony within the pan-Blue camp, and her political style in governing Taichung has always been known for being moderate and pragmatic, which is highly complementary to Chiang's political image. The cooperation between the two implicitly conveys to the outside world that, when facing future elections, the KMT will no longer operate independently, but instead demonstrate a united posture of regional joint defense and mother hens leading chicks. This has a profound impact on boosting the overall morale of the KMT and reshaping the future national political landscape.

With the core lineup of the campaign headquarters finalized, Chiang Wan-an's path to re-election has entered a substantive battle phase. Facing future campaign rivals and a rapidly changing electoral landscape, this team—combining Taichung's governance experience with parliamentary combat strength—is bound to roll out more concrete policy proposals and campaign strategies. As Taiwan's political and economic hub, the election results in Taipei City have always served as a weather vane. Whether Chiang's team can successfully translate this combination of mother hens and heavy hitters into votes in the hands of citizens, thereby further consolidating the KMT's governing position in the capital, will remain a core focus of ongoing attention in the political arena.

(Source of Facts: Central News Agency)