All 43 candidates in Taichung's mountain indigenous district have registered without a party label for Taiwan's local elections, a first for the area.

• Heping District, Taichung's only indigenous self-governing district, is filling 20 local seats this year — district chief, district representatives, and eight village heads.
• Every single person who registered did so as an independent, something residents say has never happened before.
• Several candidates who previously ran under the KMT dropped the party tag this time, and one newcomer with DNP ties did the same.
• The reason given is ethnic harmony and local vote-getting: in a thinly populated, spread-out district, races can turn on a handful of votes.
• Campaigns there run on personal favors, long-term service, and reputation rather than rallies or party branding.

Outlook: Party labels look like a liability rather than an asset in this district, and the winners will likely be decided by personal networks when voters go to the polls at year's end.