A New Power Party candidate for Taipei city council is launching his campaign with backing from party leaders, a local temple head, and veteran media figures — a test of whether Taiwan's smaller parties can still win seats.

• Chen Chih-ying, a sitting borough chief in Wenshan, opened a joint campaign office for the Da'an-Wenshan council race.
• Party chair Claire Wang, media veteran Feng Kuang-yuan, and the chairman of Muzha's Zhongshun Temple all turned out to back him.
• His pitch is city hall management: Taipei has the country's biggest budget but a staff shortage of over 20% that keeps growing.
• Da'an-Wenshan is aging in both its buildings and its residents, and he wants the budget spent on services rather than political fights.
• Feng framed the campaign as a reset for Taiwan's "third force," arguing it was wrecked in recent years by self-interested figures and should regroup under a new banner.

Outlook: The race becomes a small-party test case in one of Taipei's most conservative districts, with a hand-picked successor already lined up to take over his borough seat.