Green leaders rally for Zhuang Jingcheng’s Taichung mayor bid; Kao Hong‑an pushes reforms.

The "Nine-in-One" elections have entered a white-hot phase, and the battle for the mayoralty in Hsinchu City officially ignited as candidates advanced to complete their registration. Accompanied by key public officials from the party, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Hsinchu City mayoral candidate Chuang Ching-cheng officially proceeded to the Election Commission to complete the candidate registration process. At the registration rally, Chuang not only demonstrated the DPP's unified momentum but also proclaimed the campaign theme "Restart Hsinchu." He sought to arouse voters' expectations for the city's future municipal vision through the slogan of reshaping urban development momentum, injecting a shot in the arm into his campaign.

The lineup accompanying Chuang to the registration drew considerable attention. Key figures from the local and central levels, including DPP Legislative Caucus Convener Ker Chien-ming, made appearances to show their support, highlighting the determination of both the DPP central and local party headquarters to secure the Hsinchu City mayoral seat. Hsinchu City has long been a fiercely contested battleground in Taiwan's political landscape. Particularly bolstered by the Hsinchu Science Park technology industry cluster, the electorate features a young and highly educated demographic with exceptionally high expectations for public policy and urban governance. By choosing this moment to complete his registration and deliver remarks, Chuang aimed to pull the focus of the election back to substantive discussions on policy offerings and urban development, attempting to break away from the quagmire of local political disturbances over the past period.

Compared to the DPP's high-profile rally and political declarations, incumbent Hsinchu City Mayor Kao Hung-an, who is seeking re-election, adopted a relatively steady pace that prioritized municipal administration. On the day following her candidate registration, Kao did not arrange large-scale political campaign events; instead, she chose to continue pushing forward with municipal work according to established schedules and personally received foreign guests. This strategy of "using governance achievements to counter verbal sparring" reflects the incumbent's current advantages and tactical considerations, hoping to convey a message of stable governance and uninterrupted municipal administration to citizens through solid municipal construction results and international exchange performance.

Kao's camp clearly hopes to focus voters' attention on her administration's performance over the past period. Facing her opponents' political calls and strong challenges, Kao's team shaped a steady image of focusing on her primary duties and remaining unaffected by campaign disturbances through the continuous promotion of daily municipal affairs and the reception of foreign guests. This dual-track strategy of balancing municipal affairs and campaigning is a common offensive and defensive tactic employed by incumbent leaders seeking re-election. It not only maintains the visibility of administrative resources but also avoids falling prematurely into a quagmire of political mudslinging.

As candidates from the pan-Blue, pan-Green, and white camps successively complete their registrations and set their respective campaign themes, the election in Hsinchu City has officially entered a highly competitive, white-hot phase. Chuang uses the "Restart" slogan to attempt to unite the forces for change, while Kao relies on the appeal of "continuing municipal administration" to safeguard her existing governing stronghold. This election is not only a showdown of the candidates' personal traits and policy proposals, but also involves Hsinchu City's future positioning within the technology corridor, as well as the ebb and flow of local factions and emerging political forces. Subsequent policy debates and electoral developments are drawing intense attention from all sectors.