The race for New Taipei mayor is heating up, and a new KMT-commissioned poll puts its candidate comfortably ahead — good news for the KMT, bad for the DPP.

• The KMT's Li Si-chuan is polling near 40%, ahead of the DPP's Su Chiao-hui by close to 7 points.
• Li's camp says the lead has held steady and reflects support for his down-to-earth platform.
• Current mayor Hou Yu-ih has repeatedly backed Li, framing him as the man to finish New Taipei's unfinished building projects.
• Li has put out more than 20 policy proposals so far, covering tourism, rail and transport, and urban renewal.

Outlook: Li is expected to keep campaigning district by district while leaning on Hou's record, with the DPP needing to close a gap that has so far refused to narrow.