New Taipei election heats up: blue, green, and white parties launch surprise tactics.

The "nine-in-one" local elections have entered the peak registration phase, and election fever across Taiwan is rapidly rising alongside the registration process. As Taiwan's most populous super constituency, New Taipei City has always been a fiercely contested battleground for the pan-blue, pan-green, and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) camps. Candidates from all political parties have pulled out all the stops and devised various creative strategies for their registration campaigns. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) city council candidates in New Taipei City collectively changed into energetic and dynamic athletic wear, symbolizing their determination to sprint toward the election, with party central headquarters Deputy Secretary-General Ho Po-wen personally appearing to show support for his protégés. In contrast, the Kuomintang (KMT) and TPP camps both adopted a strategy relying on high-profile heavyweights: the blue camp invited party legislators to rally support on-site, while the white camp deployed both former and current party chairpersons, Ko Wen-je and Huang Kuo-chang, to jointly oversee the proceedings and boost momentum for their candidates. These varying campaign strategies not only reflect the different organizational mobilization logics of each political party, but also highlight the inextricable link between local council elections and the "mother hen" effect.

The DPP demonstrated a strong sense of unity in New Taipei City, choosing the second day of registration for five city council candidates to jointly don casual sportswear and head to the election commission together to complete their registration under the imagery of a "sprint." This approach, which breaks away from the traditional framework of suits and ties or campaign vests, aims to convey a young, healthy, and dynamic political image, attempting to catch the eye of young and middle-of-the-road voters. Notably, DPP Central Headquarters Deputy Secretary-General Ho Po-wen personally appeared at the scene to cheer on these candidates, who are regarded as his protégés. Ho possesses deep local grassroots strength and national recognition within the party. His presence not only represents the central party's high regard for the New Taipei City election, but also substantially exerts the "mother hen leading chicks" effect, hoping to rally the cohesion of the DPP's grassroots in New Taipei City through the backing of party high-command and seize more seats in the fiercely contested districts.

Compared to the DPP's group athletic style campaign, the KMT and the TPP adopted a more traditional yet weighty strategy backed by heavyweight political figures. KMT city council candidates showcased their abundant congressional connections by inviting party legislators to personally accompany them to the registration. Amid the current political confrontation between the central and local governments, incumbent legislators possess high visibility and the ability to dominate policy issues. Being accompanied by legislators during registration not only highlights the advantage that candidates can seamlessly connect and jointly serve with central public representatives after entering the council, but also leverages the aura of the legislators to attract media attention, consolidate the core supporters of the blue camp, and send a strong signal to voters that the KMT is united and working together across local and central levels.

On the other hand, the TPP camp's campaign lineup drew even more attention, deploying former and current party chairpersons Ko Wen-je and Huang Kuo-chang to personally hold the line and jointly boost momentum for the white camp's candidates. Having weathered multiple political storms, the election situation in New Taipei City is crucial to the TPP's development, leading to the rare joint appearance of the party's two major giants, which demonstrated a strong ambition to consolidate local territory. As the spiritual leader and former chairman of the TPP, Ko Wen-je commands a dedicated and loyal following; current party chairman Huang Kuo-chang is deeply rooted in legal and political issues, boasting extremely high visibility and combat effectiveness in central and northern Taiwan. Their gathering in New Taipei City to assist party candidates is undoubtedly aimed at maximizing their respective spillover effects, breaking through the political encirclement of the blue and green camps, and securing critical seats for the TPP in the New Taipei City Council.

As can be seen from the lively scenes of the New Taipei City councilor registration, the nine-in-one elections are not only a defensive battle for local public representatives, but also a comprehensive test of the strength of all political parties. The DPP demonstrated youthful vitality and organizational mobilization through the unified image of athletic wear; the KMT utilized legislative resources to emphasize the supervisory and service capabilities of public representatives; and the TPP relied on the top-tier traffic of its dual chairpersons to attract attention and safeguard survival space for the third force. As the registration process moves forward, the election has officially entered the substantive phase of close-quarters combat, and how each camp translates this campaign momentum into votes will be the key factor determining the future reorganization of the political landscape in the New Taipei City Council.