Taichung mayor Lu Shiow-yen confirmed the KMT is pulling its big names into one team — good news for the party's 2026 and 2028 hopes, bad news for the ruling DPP.

• Lu said KMT candidates used to run alone, and now the party is deliberately joining forces.
• She has been appearing repeatedly with legislative speaker Han Kuo-yu and Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an, fueling talk of a "Han-Lu-Chiang" alliance.
• Lu placed herself at the center of it, saying her seniority in the party makes her the one doing the integrating.
• The real target is 2028: she wants the KMT back in power, with the 2026 local races as the warm-up.
• Party chair Cheng Li-wun has dismissed earlier talk of a "Lu-Chiang system" as outsiders trying to split the KMT.

Outlook: Expect more joint appearances as the KMT builds toward the 2026 local elections, with the 2028 presidential nomination the unspoken prize.