With the Taipei mayoral race entering its final stretch, DPP candidate Puma Shen is taking on incumbent mayor Chiang Wan-an with a young, open team structure — a positive signal for his supporters and a source of pressure for the KMT.

• Rather than recruiting a political heavyweight to preside over his campaign, Shen has named "all Taipei residents" as the chairperson of his campaign headquarters, emphasising the younger generation and open participation.
• In his capacity as party chairman, Lai Ching-te is personally tracking the situation in the capital, setting aside a dedicated "Taipei mayor slot" at the weekly presidential office–cabinet–party meeting to provide support.
• Shen says polls show him gradually narrowing the gap with Chiang Wan-an, and he has arranged courtesy calls on Tsai Ing-wen and Chen Shui-bian.
• His team is pursuing a "regional joint defence" strategy, holding joint rallies with the candidates in New Taipei, Taoyuan and Yilan and planning shared policy platforms and short videos.
• Within the DPP, the view is that Chiang Wan-an's recent focus on national issues shows tactics but no strategy, and the party will hit back by targeting shortcomings in his city administration.

Outlook: With less than 100 days to the local elections, joint rallies and clashes over city governance across Taipei, New Taipei and northern Taiwan are expected to intensify further.