2026 Yunlin county chief race: Liu Chien-kuo and Chang Chia-chun in a dead heat
Taiwan's Yunlin county race is shaping up as a tight blue-green fight, with the ruling DPP trying to win back a seat it lost eight years ago and the KMT trying to hold it without leaning on a family name.
- The two main candidates are running neck and neck, with the rest of the field barely registering.
- Liu Chien-kuo, a five-term lawmaker, lost the last race by about 50,000 votes and is back for a rematch.
- His weak spot is the coastal townships; he has spent four years building support there after focusing mainly on the inland hill areas.
- Chang Chia-chun inherits a strong local machine and her aunt's decent approval ratings, but "one Chang after another" is becoming a liability.
- She is pushing her own welfare policies to build a personal brand and win over swing voters.
Outlook: The winner will likely be whoever pulls in undecided voters — Liu by uniting a fractured green camp, Chang by proving she is more than the family name.