With registration for the Hsinchu mayoral race entering its final countdown, Ho Chih-yung has publicly rejected talk that he will not see the campaign through — a reminder to his rivals that this election will be a three-way fight.

• Ho Chih-yung stressed that his candidacy is genuine and that he will definitely not sit out the year-end election.
• The Hsinchu mayoral race has settled into a three-way contest: incumbent mayor Ann Kao seeking re-election, the DPP's nominee, former legislator Chuang Ching-cheng, and Ho Chih-yung, who has a KMT background.
• Ho was the first to announce his candidacy, but rumours have persisted that he is only "running for show" and will not go the distance.
• He listed what he has done since last October — city salons, street canvassing, and assembling an advisory team of more than 50 experts to draft a municipal policy white paper — as proof that he has come prepared.
• He has recently conducted an overall review of Kao's administration, focusing on the parking app, food safety, bus service frequency, parks and the old town district.

Outlook: With less than two weeks to go before registration, whether Ho actually completes the process will determine whether the pan-blue vote is split and how difficult Kao's path to re-election becomes.