Taiwan's small opposition Taiwan People's Party is pushing into local races ahead of November elections, a test of whether the party can survive without its founder in national office.

• Ko Wen-je appeared in Hsinchu County to back a joint registration by the party's local candidates.
• The slate covers a Zhubei mayoral run plus county council and township representative seats.
• The plan is to campaign across the wider Hsinchu area as one bloc, including neighboring Miaoli towns and Hsinchu City.
• The pitch to candidates: skip the online air war and meet voters face to face.
• The party frames itself as an underdog crushed harder than earlier third-party challengers.

Outlook: With under 90 days to the November 28 vote, the party is betting that ground-level local wins can rebuild it as Taiwan's third force.