Taiwan's two biggest city races are being framed as trouble for the ruling KMT, with commentators predicting both its candidates could lose.

• Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an is under attack as a "scripted" leader whose popularity has hit a ceiling, now that his deputy Lee Ssu-chuan has left to run in New Taipei.
• DPP challenger Puma Shen is gaining momentum in Taipei, lifting morale in the green camp.
• In New Taipei, DPP candidate Su Chiao-hui has pulled ahead of Lee, who is seen as a career deputy rather than a leader.
• Outgoing New Taipei mayor Hou Yu-ih has endorsed Lee as his successor, while Su is also courting Hou's record.
• Separately, a Taipei council session exposed a 10-year-old girl in a sexual exploitation case left without counseling for 240 days, forcing Chiang to promise a review meeting.

Outlook: With about two months to the vote, both KMT candidates are on the defensive and the DPP looks positioned to take at least one of the two cities.