Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te appeared in Taitung to campaign for Chen Ying, the Democratic Progressive Party's candidate for county magistrate, making pointed remarks about an engineering scandal involving his rival's family and raising the temperature of the election contest.

• Offering incense at Taitung's Tianhou Temple, Lai said the central government attaches great importance to Taitung's development, and that every cent of the budget must be spent on county residents and local infrastructure.
• He stressed that there must be absolutely no "building a road at your own front door," a direct reference to the Dongying farm road scandal involving the family of Kuomintang candidate Wu Hsiu-hua.
• He commended Chen Ying's strong record in the Legislative Yuan, saying she is well versed in Indigenous rights and Taitung's construction needs and would be able to secure more resources from the central government if elected.
• Former President Tsai Ing-wen is personally serving as chair of Chen Ying's campaign headquarters, while former legislator Liu Chao-hao, who withdrew from the race, has taken up the role of executive director, completing the Green camp's consolidation in Taitung.
• Media observers assess that Taitung, once considered safe territory for the Blue camp, is now a toss-up, with Hsinchu County, Changhua County, Chiayi City and Yilan County also seen as possible upsets.

Outlook: With the local elections set for November 28, Taitung has become a bellwether battleground where the Blue and Green camps are locked in close combat, and the sparring over the scandal is expected to intensify further.