Kuomintang Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Ko Chih-en is working hard for votes in the remote rural district of Tianliao — a signal of attention for local voters who have long backed the Democratic Progressive Party.

• In the 2022 mayoral race, Ko took only just over 30 percent of the vote in Tianliao, far behind Chen Chi-mai.
• Over the past six months she has visited Tianliao for grassroots campaigning almost every month, holding a rally outside a temple last night to drum up votes.
• She stresses that although Tianliao is badlands terrain, it produces top-grade guavas, jujubes, longan honey and free-range chicken.
• Tianliao has a population of only just over 6,000, with those aged 65 and above making up 34 percent; the elderly caring for the elderly and inadequate medical resources are its biggest pain points.
• She questioned whether Tianliao had become any better after 20 or 30 years of DPP rule, and asked residents to give her a four-year chance.

Outlook: Traditionally weak areas for the blue camp such as Tianliao will be one of the key battlegrounds deciding the 2026 Kaohsiung mayoral race.