Taiwan's 2026 New Taipei mayoral race is tilting toward the KMT, but the party's candidate has a clear weak spot with younger voters and in the city's biggest district.

• A KMT-commissioned August poll puts Lee Si-chuan ahead of the DPP's Su Chiao-hui by about 7 points citywide.
• The same poll shows him losing Banqiao, New Taipei's most populous district, by about 6 points.
• He is also weaker than his rival among voters under 40, a gap he says he will address with policy proposals rather than attacks.
• KMT officials are publicly calling the trend steadily improving, claiming a lead in the 6 to 8 point range.
• Lee is leaning on local ward chiefs and a platform of more than 20 policy pledges as he campaigns across all 29 districts, pitching himself as the successor to outgoing mayor Hou Yu-ih.

Outlook: Expect Lee to concentrate on Banqiao and younger voters in the coming months, with both parties watching whether his citywide lead holds.