Taiwan's blue-white opposition alliance has broken apart in Hsinchu County, and the DPP candidate is positioning himself to pick up voters left in the middle.

• The Taiwan People's Party has formally cut ties with KMT Hsinchu County candidate Hsu Hsin-ying after cooperation talks collapsed in Zhubei.
• Any TPP member who campaigns for her now faces party discipline, up to expulsion.
• The party says she failed to keep her promises and destroyed two years of trust between the two opposition camps.
• DPP candidate Cheng Chao-fang's camp responded that only a record of results can rise above party lines, and that it respects other parties' internal discipline.
• With the opposition split, the DPP is courting voters from any camp who want the county to improve.

Outlook: The broken alliance leaves the opposition vote in Hsinchu County divided heading into the election, which works in the DPP's favor.