Taiwan 2026 Elections (English) / Taichung Mayor 2026
English
Voting Day: Saturday, Nov 28, 2026 3 Certified Candidates Ballot Lots Drawn: Oct 27, 2026 Open Seat: Outgoing Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (KMT)

Taichung Mayor 2026: Ho Hsin-chun vs Johnny Chiang

The 2026 Taichung mayoral election, held on November 28, 2026, is an open-seat race to succeed outgoing Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (KMT) [8]. Three candidates are on the ballot [1, 2], including the two major-party nominees, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Ho Hsin-chun and Kuomintang (KMT) Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang, amid debates over transit and bus network expansion, smart safety networks, and industrial funding [4, 5, 8].

View Candidate Profiles Key Policy Issues Published Opinion Polls Primary Sources
Certified Ballot
3 Candidates
Official ballot lots drawn on Oct 27, 2026 by Taichung City Election Commission [2]
2022 Election Baseline
59.35% vs 38.93%
Lu Shiow-yen (799,107) defeated Tsai Chi-chang (524,224) [9]
Voting Schedule
Nov 28, 2026
Part of nationwide 9-in-1 elections electing 11,051 local officials [8]
Incumbency Status
Open Seat
Race to succeed outgoing Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (KMT) [8]

Analytical Scope: InfoMiner measures online discussion, not voting intention. This page does not forecast ballot outcomes. All historical vote tallies and published opinion surveys cited on this page derive exclusively from official election authorities, published news releases, and scientific polling disclosures.

Why the Taichung Mayoral Race Matters

Taichung is Taiwan's central metropolis. Outgoing Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (KMT) [8] is not among the three registered candidates [1], so the seat is open. In the 2022 municipal election, Lu Shiow-yen won re-election with 799,107 votes (59.35%) against DPP contender Tsai Chi-chang's 524,224 votes (38.93%) with 60.01% turnout [9].

The 2026 race matches two national legislators: longtime DPP lawmaker Ho Hsin-chun, who brings more than 20 years of public service experience [4], and KMT Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang [4].

Certified Candidates for Taichung Mayor

Candidate registration for the Taichung mayoral election closed on September 4, 2026, confirming three registered contenders [1]. The Taichung City Election Commission conducted the official ballot lot drawing on October 27, 2026 [2].

1

Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純)

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Nominee

Background & Credentials

Born in 1973 (female) [3]. Ho is a longtime DPP lawmaker with more than 20 years of public service [4]. She completed her mayoral candidate registration on September 2, 2026 [1], and drew ballot number 1 on October 27, 2026 [2].

Key Municipal Platform

  • Transit & MRT Expansion: Campaign focuses prominently on transportation, criticizing Mayor Lu Shiow-yen for failing to expand the MRT network [4].
  • Bus System Reforms: Proposed comprehensive bus reforms including expanding passenger capacity, upgrading the official bus app, reorganizing routes, and improving driver conditions [5]. Pointed out that replacing articulated buses (carrying up to 141 passengers) with smaller electric buses (about 60 passengers) reduced transit capacity [5].
  • School Safety & Food Quality: Prioritizes dedicated funding for school safety and comprehensive food traceability systems across the municipality [4].

Transit Infrastructure & Local Economy

Attended the November 4 opening of the Taichung Transfer Center (an infrastructure project costing over NT$2.1 billion with 27 intercity and city bus routes), where she asked for clear transfer information and improved route coordination [8]. Stated that the Taichung International Exhibition Center should directly benefit nearby businesses [4]. Argued for a special budget for the drone industry, criticizing Chiang for supporting the KMT's plan to fund it only through the regular budgeting process [4].

Campaign Fieldwork & Debate Participation

Ho stated that she will visit all 29 administrative districts across Taichung as part of her campaign outreach [6]. She has agreed to participate in the official televised policy debate organized by the Taichung City Election Commission scheduled for November 17, 2026 [6].

3

Johnny Chiang (江啟臣)

Kuomintang (KMT) Nominee

Background & Credentials

Born in 1972 (male) [3]. Chiang serves as Deputy Legislative Speaker [4]. He completed his mayoral candidate registration on September 3, 2026 [1], and drew ballot number 3 on October 27, 2026 [2].

Key Municipal Platform

  • Taichung Smart Safety Network: Proposed a comprehensive smart safety network spanning policing, social welfare, and disaster resilience [5].
  • Sovereign AI & Big Data Center: Proposed establishing a sovereign AI and big data center to integrate municipal data and analyze risks while complying with law and protecting privacy [5].
  • AI Sensors & Environmental Monitoring: Proposed deploying AI sensors to detect unusual activity among older people living alone, regional disaster governance across central Taiwan, AI-assisted water management, and smart noise monitoring [5].

Transit Infrastructure & Local Economy

Attended the November 4 opening of the Taichung Transfer Center (an infrastructure project costing over NT$2.1 billion with 27 intercity and city bus routes), where he called for an upgrade to the Wuri transfer center near the Taichung High-Speed Rail (HSR) station [8]. Proposed a coordinated regional disaster governance platform covering central Taiwan [5].

Campaign Fieldwork & Debate Participation

His campaign office said he would keep visiting communities across Taichung and presenting concrete policy proposals [6]. He has agreed to participate in the official televised policy debate organized by the Taichung City Election Commission scheduled for November 17, 2026 [6].

Other Certified Candidate on the Ballot

2
Hung Li-hua (洪麗華) — Judicial Justice Party (司法正義黨) [1, 2]. Born in 1961 (female) [3]. Registered candidate on September 3, 2026 [1], and drew ballot number 2 on October 27, 2026 [2]. Agreed to participate in the official televised policy debate scheduled for November 17, 2026 [6].

Key Municipal Policy Battlegrounds

Campaign policy discussions between the major contenders have centered on urban transit, municipal safety innovation, and industrial budget governance:

1. Public Transit, MRT Expansion & Bus Reforms

Transit capacity and regional connectivity form a primary line of debate between the contenders:

  • MRT Network & Bus Capacity: Ho criticized Mayor Lu Shiow-yen for failing to expand the MRT network [4]. She proposed bus reforms including greater passenger capacity, upgrading the official bus app, route reorganization, and improving driver conditions, noting that replacing articulated buses (up to 141 passengers) with smaller electric buses (about 60) reduced passenger capacity [5].
  • Transfer Hub Coordination: Both Ho and Chiang attended the November 4 opening of the over NT$2.1 billion Taichung Transfer Center serving 27 bus routes [8]. Ho emphasized clear transfer information and route coordination, while Chiang called for upgrading the Wuri transfer center near the Taichung HSR station [8].

2. Taichung Smart Safety Network & AI Governance

Chiang proposed a modern technological architecture for municipal resilience and citizen welfare:

  • Sovereign AI & Big Data: Platform calls for a sovereign AI and big data center to integrate municipal data and analyze risks while complying with the law and protecting privacy [5].
  • Elderly Welfare & Environmental Safety: Platform proposes deploying AI sensors to detect unusual activity among older people living alone, developing a regional disaster governance platform across central Taiwan, AI-assisted water management, and smart noise monitoring [5].

3. Industrial Budgeting, School Safety & Local Business

The candidates present contrasting approaches to industrial development and public spending:

  • Drone Industry Funding: Ho argues for a dedicated special budget for the drone industry, criticizing Chiang for supporting the KMT's plan to fund it only through the regular budgeting process [4].
  • Local Business Integration: Ho proposed that the Taichung International Exhibition Center should directly benefit nearby commercial businesses [4].
  • Public Health & Education: Ho's platform emphasizes municipal funding for school safety infrastructure and enhanced food traceability systems [4].

Published Opinion Polls & Statutory Disclosures

Under Article 53 of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, public opinion poll reporting must specify the survey conductor, funding source, sample size, sampling methodology, survey dates, and margin of error. Focus Taiwan reported on November 3, 2026, that five polls released since early October showed contrasting results, with four placing Johnny Chiang ahead and the latest placing Ho Hsin-chun ahead [6]:

Release Date Commissioning Entity & Polling Conductor Ho Hsin-chun (DPP) Johnny Chiang (KMT) Reported Margin / Result
Nov 3, 2026
(Tuesday)		 Taipei Trust in Democracy Association
Conducted by Tai Li-an [6] 		41.1% 30.4% Ho ahead by 10.7 points
(First poll in campaign to put Ho ahead) [6]
Nov 2, 2026
(Monday)		 KMT Caucus, Taichung City Council
Fo Guang University Center for Public Opinion Research [6] 		28.1% 38.3% Chiang ahead by 10.2 points [6]
Oct 17, 2026 KMT Caucus, Taichung City Council
Shih Hsin University [6] 		28.7% 39.8% Chiang ahead by 11.1 points [6]
Oct 12, 2026 "Trust Taiwan" Group in Taichung
DPP-backed group [6] 		— — Chiang ahead by 1.9 points [6]
Oct 6, 2026 Era TV Polling Center
Era TV [6] 		— — Chiang ahead by 6 points [6]

Turnout projections & voter expectations: In Lianhe Zaobao, pollster Tai Li-an's projection, which combined the poll with past election results, put Ho at 48.6%–51.9% and Chiang at 47.1%–50.3% depending on turnout; the newspaper described the race as a toss-up [7]. In the same survey, 39.7% of respondents expected Chiang to win compared to 25.4% who expected Ho to win [7]. Taichung has 2.29 million eligible voters [7].

Incumbent reaction: Outgoing Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (KMT) stated that opinion polls serve as reference points [6].

Historical Election Baseline in Taichung

To provide context for the 2026 mayoral contest, official Central Election Commission (CEC) results from the 2022 local elections in Taichung City are summarized below [9]:

Election Year Winning Candidate Runner-Up Candidate Other Candidate(s) Electorate & Turnout
2022 Mayoral Election Lu Shiow-yen (KMT)
799,107 votes (59.35%)		 Tsai Chi-chang (DPP)
524,224 votes (38.93%)		 Chen Mei-fei (Independent)
23,140 votes (1.72%)		 2,274,107 eligible voters
60.01% turnout rate

Recent Campaign Developments & Key Schedule

Candidate engagements and scheduled events heading toward voting day include key infrastructure openings, district visits, and the official televised debate:

  • November 4, 2026: Both Ho Hsin-chun and Johnny Chiang attended the official opening of the Taichung Transfer Center, an over NT$2.1 billion facility integrating 27 intercity and city bus routes [8].
  • November 17, 2026: Official televised policy debate organized by the Taichung City Election Commission; all three registered mayoral candidates agreed to participate [6].
  • November 18, 2026 (00:00): Statutory opinion poll blackout takes effect under Article 53 of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, prohibiting publication or citation of polls until voting concludes.
  • November 28, 2026: Voting day, held as part of Taiwan's nationwide 9-in-1 local elections electing 11,051 local officials [8].

Grassroots outreach: Ho stated that she will visit all 29 administrative districts across Taichung to engage local communities [6].

Online Discussion & InfoMiner Analysis

Methodological Reminder: InfoMiner measures online discussion, not voting intention. High online discussion volume reflects viral digital engagement and media attention, which may differ significantly from ballot box outcomes.

News coverage cited on this page has focused on the opening of the Taichung Transfer Center, proposals for bus network reform, drone industry funding, and smart public-safety proposals [4, 5, 8]. This page does not publish InfoMiner discussion-volume or sentiment figures for the Taichung race.

InfoMiner tracks digital discussion volume and sentiment semantics across public news reports, social networks, and community forums. These metrics illustrate the reach and resonance of policy proposals among internet users, but they do not measure voting intention and do not forecast election results.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who are the certified candidates in the 2026 Taichung mayoral election?

Three candidates are certified on the official ballot: Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純, Ballot #1) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Hung Li-hua (洪麗華, Ballot #2) of the Judicial Justice Party (司法正義黨), and Johnny Chiang (江啟臣, Ballot #3) of the Kuomintang (KMT).

2. Why is the 2026 Taichung mayoral race significant?

Taichung is Taiwan's central metropolis. The 2026 election is an open-seat contest to succeed outgoing Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (KMT).

3. What are the key policy battlegrounds in Taichung?

Major municipal issues include public transit and MRT expansion, bus network capacity and app reforms, a proposed smart safety network utilizing sovereign AI and big data for disaster resilience and elderly care, funding mechanisms for the drone industry, school safety, food traceability, exhibition center benefits for local businesses, and regional transportation hub upgrades.

4. When is the official mayoral debate scheduled?

The Taichung City Election Commission has scheduled the official televised policy debate for November 17, 2026. All three certified mayoral candidates have agreed to participate.

5. How does InfoMiner cover the Taichung mayoral race?

InfoMiner measures online discussion, public attention, and digital sentiment across social platforms and news reporting; it does not measure voting intention and does not forecast ballot outcomes. Published third-party scientific polls are presented under statutory disclosure rules.

Numbered Primary Sources & Citations

  1. Central News Agency (CNA, Sept 4, 2026): "九合一選舉登記截止 台中市長3人參選" — https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202609040299.aspx
  2. Central News Agency (CNA, Oct 27, 2026): "台中市長選舉號次抽籤 何欣純1號、江啟臣3號" — https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202610270055.aspx
  3. Radio Taiwan International (RTI, 2026): "Candidates | 2026 Taiwan Local Elections" — https://election2026.rti.org.tw/en/candidates.html
  4. Taiwan News (Sept 23, 2026): "DPP's Ho Hsin-chun touts policy, local ties in Taichung mayoral race" — https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6444796
  5. Focus Taiwan (Oct 19, 2026) & Taipei Times (Oct 20, 2026): "Ho proposes bus reforms; Chiang outlines smart safety network in Taichung" — https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202610190022 / https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/10/20/2003866294
  6. Focus Taiwan (Nov 3, 2026): "Taichung mayoral race polls show conflicting results for Ho, Chiang" — https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202611030029
  7. Lianhe Zaobao English (Nov 4, 2026): "Is KMT losing its edge in Taichung mayoral race? Poll point to toss-up" — https://www.zaobao.com.sg/en/news/china/kmt-losing-its-edge-taichung-mayoral-race-poll-point-toss
  8. Focus Taiwan (Nov 4, 2026): "Taichung mayoral candidates Ho, Chiang attend transit hub opening" — https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202611040020
  9. Chinese Wikipedia, citing CEC results (2022): "2022年中華民國直轄市長及縣市長選舉" (Taichung section) — https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022年中華民國直轄市長及縣市長選舉