Vice President Rallies New Taipei Cadres to Kick Off DPP Campaign

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim visited New Taipei City today to cheer on Su Chiao-hui, the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) candidate for New Taipei City Mayor, at the Joint Certification Ceremony for New Taipei Campaign Headquarters Cadres, drawing an enthusiastic crowd. Vice President Hsiao's presence was not only an endorsement of Su Chiao-hui and her team, but also symbolized that the DPP regards the special municipality of New Taipei as a critical battleground in its national electoral strategy. With a population exceeding four million and a massive voter base, New Taipei City has seen fierce competition between the blue and green camps in past elections. Hsiao Bi-khim's appearance at the center stage demonstrates the party headquarters' high regard for this round of local elections.

During the rally, Su officially presented certificates to more than 400 campaign cadres. These personnel are distributed across New Taipei City's 29 administrative districts, covering multiple functions including regional coordination, grassroots mobilization, information dissemination, and voter services. The scale and degree of organization of campaign cadres are important indicators for measuring an electoral team's operational capability. In past elections in New Taipei City, the DPP was often constrained by the Kuomintang's (KMT) regional network due to a relatively weak grassroots organization. This time, Su has deployed a complete lineup of more than 400 people, intending to achieve breakthroughs in voter contact, database establishment, and mobilization efficiency, thereby laying the groundwork for the next phase of street visits, telemarketing, and social media promotion.

New Taipei City is currently governed by KMT Mayor Hou Yu-ih, who has accumulated a certain level of administrative achievements in epidemic prevention, transportation, and public infrastructure since his reelection. Su Chiao-hui is a former member of the Legislative Yuan, known during her tenure for focusing on social welfare and workers' rights, and has held several key positions within the party. Her candidacy is seen as a pivotal piece for the DPP to revamp its image in New Taipei City and challenge the KMT's long-term rule. From the fierce competition during the party primary to the official launch of the campaign, Su's political seniority and administrative experience are viewed as capable of making up for the DPP's shortcomings in local governance experience. Using "A New Vision for New Taipei" as her slogan, she is attempting to attract support from young voters and the middle class.

Another implication of the certification ceremony is highlighting the efficiency of intra-party resource integration and personnel deployment. As Vice President and concurrently Vice Chairperson of the DPP, Hsiao's attendance was not merely symbolic support; it may also bring the coordination and allocation of central government resources, including campaign funds, policy promotion materials, and volunteer training. In past local elections, the DPP often encountered bottlenecks due to poor linkages between central and local resources. This direct attention at the vice-presidential level may foster closer top-down interaction and enhance the overall effectiveness of the campaign.

Political observers point out that the New Taipei City mayoral race has entered a heated phase. The competition between the blue and green camps is not only about the mayor's seat, but also serves as a weather vane testing the direction of national politics. If Su can effectively transform the strength of more than 400 cadres into voter mobilization in a short period and create a distinct policy divergence from Hou Yu-ih, she may be able to break the KMT's traditional advantage in this district. Conversely, the KMT has also initiated similar cadre training and grassroots mobilization. The canvassing, rallies, and media warfare between the two sides will intensify over the next few months. Overall, Vice President Hsiao's witnessing and Su's certification ceremony mark the full launch of the DPP's campaign in New Taipei City. Future developments in the race will require close observation of the implementation of various strategies and voter feedback.