A first-time candidate with no political family backing has become the DPP's pick for a Kaohsiung city council seat, a boost for the party's push to promote younger faces.

• Wu Yu-feng, a tech startup founder with no political background, won the party's most contested primary in Kaohsiung and opened his campaign headquarters in Qianzhen.
• Over a thousand supporters turned out, along with senior party figures including Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Meng-an and Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao.
• The heavy turnout of national and city leaders signals the party is closing ranks behind him ahead of the year-end local elections.
• His pitch is economic: unmanned vessel manufacturing, housing for young families, and childcare and elder care in schools.
• Political veterans had told him he could not win without money or connections, making the primary result a rare upset.

Outlook: He now faces the general election at year's end, with the party's full machinery behind him.