Taiwan's 2026 local elections are now locked in, with a straight KMT-versus-DPP fight for Taipei that sets up an early test of both parties before the next presidential race.

• Registration for the island-wide local elections closed, with six people running for Taipei mayor.
• The main contest is between sitting mayor Chiang Wan-an of the KMT and the DPP's Puma Shen, alongside four minor-party and independent candidates.
• Chiang registered through a representative and opted in to televised debates.
• Taipei's city council race is crowded: 98 candidates are competing for 61 seats across eight districts.

Outlook: Campaigning now ramps up, with debates between the two main candidates the next thing to watch.