The DPP has decided not to field candidates for township chief in three Changhua County towns that have long been KMT strongholds, effectively conceding the area for this election cycle.

• The party found no strong or willing candidates in Hemei, Shengang, and Xianxi, so it is skipping those races entirely.
• The KMT's Hemei town chief Lin Geng-jen is running for re-election with party backing and a smooth path now that the DPP is standing aside.
• In Shengang, independent chief Huang Yung-chin also seeks another term and has kept friendly ties with the DPP camp.
• Xianxi turns into a face-off between the current chief's wife and a KMT-nominated local representative, with the outgoing chief term-limited.
• Party officials frame the retreat as a signal they need to grow younger local talent before they can crack the KMT's grip there.

Outlook: The KMT and DPP-friendly independents look set to hold the northwest corner of Changhua, leaving the DPP to focus its energy on the county magistrate race.