Kaohsiung's next mayoral election is shaping up as a two-party fight between the DPP and the KMT, with a record field of candidates but little real challenge from outside the two big parties.

• Five people registered for the Kaohsiung mayor race, the most since the city and county merged.
• The real contest is between the DPP's Lai Jui-lung and the KMT's Ko Chih-en; the three others have little backing.
• 101 people signed up for 65 city council seats across 15 districts.
• One district drew exactly four candidates for four seats — a first for Kaohsiung, and all four are sitting members seeking re-election.
• Those unopposed candidates still have to clear a minimum vote threshold to win, unlike village chiefs who win automatically.

Outlook: Expect the campaign to narrow quickly into a straight DPP-versus-KMT contest in a city the DPP has long held.