Taiwan's opposition KMT is stitching its northern city races together ahead of the local elections, a sign of confidence for the party and a warning for the ruling DPP.

• With under 100 days to go, the KMT plans to run Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung and Taoyuan as one campaign, copying the setup that swept the north in 2022.
• Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an is expected to campaign hard for New Taipei candidate Lee Shih-chuan once his city council session ends, joined later by the Taoyuan and Keelung mayors.
• Lee's team is pitching shared projects — new rail lines, a new bridge, an AI industry corridor — rather than big rallies, betting voters care more about concrete plans.
• Party chair Cheng Li-wun is being kept at arm's length from the New Taipei race, with insiders saying a gaffe would hand the DPP ammunition.

Outlook: Expect the four northern mayors to appear together often after the legislative session ends, with New Taipei the tightest race to watch.