The Hsinchu mayoral race has been mired in controversy over personal attacks from the moment it began — negative news for Kao Hung-an, but her team is already preparing to hit back.

• DPP legislator Ker Chien-ming publicly stated that Kao Hung-an's academic degree had been revoked over plagiarism in her thesis.
• Kao Hung-an's campaign team denied this, saying her doctoral degree from the University of Cincinnati in the United States has never been revoked.
• Kao Hung-an's team has gathered evidence and handed it to lawyers to consider legal proceedings, with a possible lawsuit to follow.
• Ker Chien-ming made the remarks while accompanying DPP candidate Chuang Ching-cheng to register his candidacy, and also criticised Kao Hung-an over unresolved lawsuits including the assistants' fees case.
• Kao Hung-an's side stressed that judicial cases should be handled by the courts, and that the campaign should return to policy platforms and governance records.

Outlook: The war of words between the two sides is expected to keep escalating, and if Kao Hung-an's team files suit, the degree dispute will become the central theme of the election campaign.