The race for New Taipei City mayor has formally entered its warm-up phase, with the Democratic Progressive Party and Kuomintang candidates both stepping up mobilisation this week — a critical moment for building momentum in either camp.

• DPP candidate Su Chiao-hui will open her campaign headquarters in Banqiao on September 5, with Lai Ching-te, Tsai Ing-wen and Chen Chi-mai all appearing on stage in support.
• Su has recently put forward Hakka and labour policy proposals, including an AI database of Hakka culture, an incubation base for youth entrepreneurship, higher occupational-injury compensation payments and subsidies for heat protection.
• On the KMT side, incumbent mayor Hou Yu-ih appeared alongside Lee Szu-chuan twice within three days, publicly stating: "My successor is Lee Szu-chuan."
• Lee is campaigning on continuing Hou's infrastructure agenda, including building the Lu-She Bridge, linking up an AI technology industry corridor across Taipei and New Taipei, and constructing a hospital in Luzhou.
• After the collapse of blue-white cooperation in the Zhubei mayoral race, attention has turned to whether Huang Kuo-chang will shift to New Taipei; Lee stressed that blue-white cooperation in New Taipei will not change.

Outlook: Registration for the New Taipei mayoral and city council races opens today, with Su expected to register on September 2, and the campaign set to keep heating up ahead of the November 28 polling day.