Hsu Kuo-yung rallies support in Changhua, urging party unity ahead of elections

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary-General Hsu Kuo-yung traveled to Changhua County today to publicly endorse legislative candidate Chen Su-yueh in her reelection bid, demonstrating the party's strong ambition in its electoral strategy. Hsu emphasized that Changhua County has always been a crucial bellwether for national elections, making its electoral race closely watched. Expressing full confidence in Chen's long-term grassroots cultivation and the trajectory of her campaign, Hsu stated that he was "not worried at all." However, facing the challenge of intra-party consolidation, Hsu specifically appealed to former Changhua Mayor Chiu Chien-fu, who has expressed an intention to run independently outside the party, urging him to carefully reconsider before officially registering his candidacy. This highlighted the party central committee's distinct dual stance: firmly supporting its nominated candidate while still hoping to forge the greatest possible unity within the party.

As a fiercely contested battleground in central Taiwan, Changhua County features a complex intertwining of voter demographics and local factions, and has long been regarded as an important weather vane for the shifting political landscape between the pan-blue and pan-green camps in Taiwan's elections. Every step of the DPP's strategy here affects the momentum of the overall campaign. Chen has cultivated the local constituency for years, and her solid reputation for legislative performance and public service has consistently served as an important cornerstone for securing the DPP's vote share in Changhua. Hsu's personal trip south to stump for Chen not only substantively affirmed her performance, but also carried the profound significance of consolidating the local political base and signaling the party central committee's full support to voters, in an effort to further boost momentum in the final countdown to the election.

Nevertheless, the DPP's electoral prospects in Changhua County are not entirely without hidden concerns. Former Changhua Mayor Chiu Chien-fu has previously stated that he does not rule out running independently, casting a variable into the local pan-green race. In local elections, a split within the pan-green camp is often a critical turning point for victory or defeat, and the greatest fear of intra-party division is the dilution of the vote bank, which in turn allows opponents to reap the benefits. By choosing to appeal to Chiu in a public setting and timing the message before the official registration deadline, Hsu demonstrated the DPP central committee's persistence in upholding party discipline and unity, while simultaneously preserving room for final political negotiation and communication, hoping to defuse a potential split through gentle persuasion.

Looking at the overall picture, the DPP's strategic thinking in Changhua County is very clear: it must fully safeguard the steady campaign of party-nominated incumbent legislator Chen Su-yueh while also actively addressing local dissenting voices and integration difficulties. Hsu's public appeal was both an external declaration of the party central committee's firm stance on the nomination mechanism and an internal mobilization order for unity. As the registration deadline for the election approaches, whether Chiu will accept the party central committee's persuasion to make concessions or reevaluate his stance will become a critical factor swaying the direction of the Changhua race, while also testing the political wisdom and local integration capabilities of the DPP leadership.