Taiwan 2026 Elections (English) / Taoyuan Mayor 2026
English
Voting Day: Saturday, Nov 28, 2026 2 Certified Candidates Ballot Lots Drawn: Oct 27, 2026 Incumbent Mayor Simon Chang Seeking Re-election

Taoyuan Mayor 2026: Huang Shih-chieh vs Simon Chang

The 2026 Taoyuan mayoral election on November 28, 2026 is a two-candidate race between Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nominee Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰) and incumbent Kuomintang (KMT) Mayor Simon Chang (Chang San-cheng, 張善政), who is seeking a second term [3, 4, 11, 16].

Candidate Profiles Policy Comparison 2022 Baseline Results Primary Sources
Certified Ballot
2 Candidates
Official ballot lots drawn on Oct 27, 2026 by Taoyuan City Election Commission [3, 4]
2022 Election Baseline
52.02% vs 40.03%
Chang San-cheng (557,572) defeated Cheng Yun-peng (428,983) with 59.46% turnout [10]
Voting Schedule
Nov 28, 2026
Electing Taoyuan's 4th-term mayor and 65 city councilors across 14 districts [1]
Incumbency Status
Seeking 2nd Term
Incumbent Mayor Simon Chang (KMT) was nominated to seek re-election [11]
Key Election Facts: 2026 Taoyuan Mayoral Race
Election Date Saturday, November 28, 2026 (Part of Taiwan's nationwide nine-in-one local elections) [1]
Seat Contested 4th-term Mayor of Taoyuan; incumbent Mayor Simon Chang (Chang San-cheng, 張善政, KMT) is seeking a second term [1, 11]
Certified Candidates 2 candidates: #1 Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰), #2 Simon Chang (Chang San-cheng, 張善政) [3, 4]
Official Campaign Period November 13, 2026 to November 27, 2026 (15 days) [6]
Platform Presentation Date One official session: Tuesday, November 17, 2026 from 09:00 Taiwan time (check-in 08:30, speaking order drawn by lot). Broadcast live on Taoyuan cable public-access channel 3 and YouTube; two rounds of 12 minutes per candidate (24 minutes total) [7, 8]
Concurrent Municipal Elections 65 Taoyuan City Council seats across 14 electoral districts (including one lowland Indigenous and one mountain Indigenous district); 108 council candidates drew ballot numbers [2]

Analytical Scope: InfoMiner measures online discussion, not voting intention. This page does not forecast ballot outcomes. All historical vote tallies, candidate platform disclosures, and statutory schedules cited on this page are drawn from official election records, the national law database, and published news reports.

Why the 2026 Taoyuan Mayoral Race Matters

Taoyuan is electing its 4th-term mayor alongside 65 city councilors across 14 electoral districts, including one lowland Indigenous district and one mountain Indigenous district [1]. Taoyuan has been governed by the Kuomintang (KMT) since the 2022 election, when Simon Chang (Chang San-cheng) was elected, succeeding Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who served two terms from 2014 to 2022 [10, 13].

In the November 26, 2022 mayoral election, Chang received 557,572 votes (52.02%), Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬, DPP) received 428,983 votes (40.03%), Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶, Taiwan People's Party) received 54,926 votes (5.12%), and independent candidate Cheng Pao-ching (鄭寶清) received 30,282 votes (2.83%), with 59.46% voter turnout among 1,825,127 eligible voters [10]. The 2026 election presents a direct two-candidate contest between the incumbent mayor seeking a second term and DPP nominee Huang Shih-chieh, a former legislator and former deputy justice minister [16, 17].

Certified Candidates for Taoyuan Mayor

The Taoyuan City Election Commission conducted the official ballot-number draw on October 27, 2026 for the two candidates in the November 28, 2026 mayoral election [3, 4]:

Ballot # Candidate Name Party Affiliation Current / Notable Public Office
1 Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Former Deputy Minister of Justice; Former Legislator (10th Legislative Yuan) [16, 17]
2 Simon Chang (Chang San-cheng, 張善政) Kuomintang (KMT) Incumbent Mayor of Taoyuan; Former Premier (2016) [12]
1

Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰)

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Nominee

Background

Huang was born in Xinwu, Taoyuan, and is of Hakka heritage [16]. He holds law and sociology degrees from National Taiwan University and an LL.M. from Columbia University [17]. He previously worked in the Taoyuan City Government during its transition to a special municipality, providing legal support and helping review approximately 1,500 local regulations [16, 17]. Huang was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 2020 and was later appointed deputy minister of justice after the 2024 legislative election [17, 19].

Nomination

Huang was nominated by the DPP Central Executive Committee on April 15, 2026 as the party's candidate for Taoyuan mayor [16, 17]. At the Taoyuan City Election Commission's official ballot drawing on October 27, 2026, he drew ballot number 1 in person [3, 4].

Campaign Theme

At the ballot drawing, Huang announced the campaign slogan 「企鵝不捨、桃園第1」 ("Penguins persevere, Taoyuan comes first"), incorporating a wordplay on his campaign mascot, a penguin, and his drawn ballot number [3, 5]. According to news reports, his platform emphasizes infrastructure expansion across southern Taoyuan, municipal bus coordination, regional medical equity, and dedicated public services for new immigrants [14, 18, 19, 20, 21].

Key Pledges

  • Transport & Transit: Has proposed extending the MRT Green Line to Zhongli, making Yangmei a southern Taoyuan transport hub, and creating a city-operated bus network coordinated with future MRT lines [14, 19, 20].
  • Health Care: Has proposed establishing a specialty medical network, a "medical staff housing" program to fill emergency, critical, and maternal-child care shortages, and planning a second medical center for balanced resource distribution [18, 19].
  • Economy & Technology: Has proposed the Phase 2 expansion of the Youshi (幼獅) industrial area, renewing traditional industrial zones, targeting aerospace and drone sectors, restarting the "Asia Silicon Valley" project, and arguing for an AI park in Taoyuan [18, 20, 22].
  • Family & Public Services: Has proposed a childcare-facility information map, planning a Zhongli sports park, and a four-part policy for Taoyuan's more than 70,000 new immigrants covering employment, language support including upgrading the 1999 hotline with AI plus human interpreters, a dedicated coordination mechanism, and cultural participation [14, 19, 21].
2

Simon Chang (Chang San-cheng, 張善政)

Kuomintang (KMT) Nominee

Background

Chang has served as mayor of Taoyuan since winning the 2022 election [10]. He previously worked as a professor at National Taiwan University and the first director-general of the National Center for High-performance Computing [12]. He worked for about 10 years at Acer and subsequently at Google [12]. Under President Ma Ying-jeou, he served as minister without portfolio, minister of science and technology, vice premier, and premier in 2016 [12].

Nomination

Chang was nominated (drafted) by the KMT Central Standing Committee on July 22, 2026 to seek re-election as mayor [11]. At the Taoyuan City Election Commission's official ballot drawing on October 27, 2026, he drew ballot number 2 in person, noting that he had drawn ballot number 1 during the 2022 mayoral election [3, 4, 5].

Campaign Theme

At the ballot drawing, Chang presented the campaign slogan 「好事成雙」 ("double good fortune"), referencing his second-term candidacy and drawn ballot number [3, 5]. According to news reports, his campaign highlights infrastructure, maternal health and childcare policies, and he lists the MRT, a municipal hospital and the second administrative center among his priorities [12, 13].

Key Pledges

  • Health Care & Municipal Facilities: Pledges to build a municipal hospital, saying Taoyuan is the only special municipality in Taiwan without one, and deliver the second municipal administrative center at Zhonglu (中路) [13].
  • Transport & Traffic: Pledges to continue expanding the MRT network, with the city aiming for the MRT Green Line northern section to open by year-end [13, 15]; cites AI-controlled traffic signals and smaller buses drivable with a standard car licence, introduced to address bus-driver shortages [12].
  • Housing & Family: Cites his social housing target, stating his team's four years plus one additional year would reach more than 5,000 units compared to over 4,000 units in his predecessor's eight years, while pointing to his creation of a Department of Women and Children Development and pledged improvements in education quality [12, 13].
  • Economy & Public Services: Cites coordination with the central government to restart Longtan Science Park Phase 3 [12, 15], and pledged on November 8, 2026 not to introduce per-bag trash collection fees for ordinary households if re-elected [14].

Official Candidate Registration Summary

According to reporting on the October 27 ballot-number draw, only two candidates registered for the 2026 Taoyuan mayoral election: Huang Shih-chieh (DPP, Ballot #1) and Simon Chang (Chang San-cheng, KMT, Ballot #2) [2, 5]. There are no other candidates on the mayoral ballot [2, 5].

Policy Comparison: Key Municipal Domains

The certified candidates have outlined specific policy proposals across major municipal governance domains, compiled strictly from verified campaign disclosures and published news reporting:

Policy Domain Huang Shih-chieh (DPP, Ballot #1) Simon Chang (Chang San-cheng, KMT, Ballot #2)
Transport / MRT
  • MRT Extension: Proposes extending the MRT Green Line to Zhongli [14].
  • Regional Hub: Proposes making Yangmei a transport hub for southern Taoyuan [20].
  • Municipal Bus Service: Proposes a city-operated bus service coordinated with future MRT lines [19].
  • MRT Expansion: Pledges to keep expanding the MRT network, with the city aiming for the MRT Green Line northern section to open by year-end [13, 15].
  • Traffic Management: Cites implementation of AI-controlled traffic signals [12].
  • Driver Shortage Measure: Cites deployment of smaller buses drivable with a standard car licence to address driver shortages [12].
Health Care
  • Specialty Network: Proposes a specialty medical network and a "medical staff housing" program to address emergency, critical, and maternal-child care shortages [18].
  • Second Medical Center: Proposes establishing a second medical center to promote more even distribution of medical resources [19].
  • Municipal Hospital: Pledges to build a municipal hospital, stating that Taoyuan is currently the only special municipality without one [13].
Housing / Family
  • Childcare Information: Proposes a childcare-facility information map [19].
  • Staff Housing: Proposes a "medical staff housing" program to support healthcare personnel [18].
  • Sports Facilities: Proposes planning a sports park in Zhongli [14].
  • New Immigrant Support: Proposes a four-part policy for Taoyuan's more than 70,000 new immigrants covering jobs/entrepreneurship, language services including upgrading the 1999 hotline with AI plus human interpreters, a dedicated coordination mechanism, and cultural participation [21].
  • Social Housing: Chang says his team's four years plus one additional year would deliver more than 5,000 units, compared to over 4,000 units during his predecessor's eight years [13].
  • Departmental Reform: Points to his creation of a dedicated Department of Women and Children Development [12].
  • Education: Pledges continued focus on improving municipal education quality [13].
Economy / Industry
  • Industrial Area Expansion: Proposes pushing Phase 2 expansion of the Youshi (幼獅) industrial area [20].
  • Industrial Renewal: Proposes renewing traditional industrial zones, targeting aerospace and drone industries, and restarting the "Asia Silicon Valley" plan [18].
  • AI Siting: Has argued that an AI park should be sited in Taoyuan [22].
  • Science Park: Cites coordinating with the central government to restart Longtan Science Park Phase 3 [12, 15].
Governance / Public Services
  • Hotline & Immigrant Coordination: Proposes upgrading the 1999 hotline with AI assistance and human interpreters, alongside establishing a dedicated coordination mechanism for new immigrant affairs [21].
  • Legal Regulatory Experience: Cites prior work in the city government helping review approximately 1,500 local regulations during Taoyuan's transition to a special municipality [16, 17].
  • Administrative Center: Pledges to deliver the second municipal administrative center at Zhonglu (中路) [13].
  • Waste Management Fees: On November 8, 2026, pledged not to introduce per-bag trash collection fees for ordinary households if re-elected [14].

2022 Taoyuan Mayoral Election Baseline Results

In the previous municipal election held on November 26, 2022, Simon Chang (KMT) was elected mayor. The official Central Election Commission (CEC) election database recorded the following results [10]:

Candidate Party Affiliation Votes Received Vote Share (%) Electoral Outcome
Simon Chang (Chang San-cheng, 張善政) Kuomintang (KMT) 557,572 52.02% Elected
Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 428,983 40.03% Not elected
Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) Taiwan People's Party (TPP) 54,926 5.12% Not elected
Cheng Pao-ching (鄭寶清) Independent 30,282 2.83% Not elected
2022 Taoyuan Mayoral Electorate and Turnout Statistics
Eligible Voters 1,825,127
Total Ballots Cast 1,085,225
Valid Ballots 1,071,763
Invalid Ballots 13,462
Voter Turnout Rate 59.46%

Official Campaign Schedule & Platform Presentations

Statutory milestones, official candidate platform presentations, and commission announcements for the 2026 Taoyuan municipal elections include [1, 6, 7, 8]:

  • August 20, 2026: Central Election Commission issued public notice 中選務字第1153150253號 announcing the 2026 local elections date and seat allocations [1].
  • October 27, 2026: Official ballot lot drawings conducted in person at the Taoyuan City Election Commission, drawing ballot numbers #1 Huang Shih-chieh and #2 Simon Chang [3, 4]; 108 city council candidates drew ballot numbers across 14 electoral districts [2].
  • November 13 to November 27, 2026: Official 15-day campaign period for special-municipality mayoral candidates under Article 40 of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act [6].
  • Tuesday, November 17, 2026 (09:00 Taiwan Time): Official televised mayoral candidate platform presentation organized by the Taoyuan City Election Commission (check-in 08:30, speaking order determined by lot). Each candidate presents in two rounds of 12 minutes (24 minutes total). Broadcast live on Taoyuan cable public-access channel 3 and YouTube [7, 8].
  • Platform Presentation Format & Debate Inquiries: Both certified mayoral candidates agreed to take part in the official presentation session [7, 8]. Because fewer than the statutory two-thirds of candidates agreed to a debate format, the commission arranged a televised policy presentation rather than a debate [7, 8]. Huang repeatedly invited Chang to participate in a debate, stating that debates allow voters to compare policies; Chang stated that he had chosen the policy-presentation format at registration and that available time was already short for reporting his plans to residents [9]. As of NOWnews' November 2, 2026 report, the two sides had not agreed on a formal debate [9].
  • November 18 to November 25, 2026: Official televised candidate platform presentations for Taoyuan City Council candidates [7, 8].
  • Wednesday, November 18, 2026 (00:00 Taiwan Time): Statutory polling blackout takes effect under Article 53, Paragraph 3 of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, prohibiting publishing, reporting, distributing, commenting on, or citing election polls until voting closes.
  • Saturday, November 28, 2026 (08:00–16:00): Voting day for Taiwan's nationwide nine-in-one local elections, electing Taoyuan's 4th-term mayor and 65 city councilors [1].

Statutory Polling Blackout Notice: Under Article 53, Paragraph 3 of Taiwan's Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, publishing, reporting, distributing, commenting on, or citing public opinion polls regarding candidates or electoral districts is prohibited from 10 days before voting day until the close of polling.

For the 2026 local elections, the statutory blackout is in effect from November 18, 2026 at 00:00 to November 28, 2026 at 16:00 (Taipei time). In compliance with statutory requirements, this page does not publish poll numbers, prediction-market odds, or InfoMiner discussion-volume and sentiment numbers. For full legal details, see our dedicated guide on the 2026 Statutory Poll Blackout (Article 53).

Election Integrity & Campaign Security

Heading toward voting day, Taiwan's election authorities have emphasized digital authenticity and public awareness regarding election information:

  • AI-Generated Content Warning: On November 9, 2026, Taiwan's Central Election Commission released a television commercial warning voters about AI-generated synthetic media and deepfakes during the election campaign, advising citizens not to forward or share unverified election-related content [23].

For broader context on Taiwan's election security frameworks, foreign interference countermeasures, and disinformation analysis, read our overview on Election Interference & Disinformation in Taiwan's 2026 Elections.

How InfoMiner Covers the Taoyuan Mayoral Race

Methodological Notice: InfoMiner measures online discussion, not voting intention. High digital volume reflects online discussion, media focus, and candidate visibility; it does not measure voting intention and does not forecast ballot outcomes.

InfoMiner Election Lab tracks digital public engagement, media coverage, and discussion dynamics across public news reports, community message boards, and social platforms. These metrics reflect digital attention surrounding candidate policy announcements and campaign milestones.

In accordance with editorial and statutory standards, this explainer presents no prediction-market odds, speculative projections, or proprietary discussion-volume and sentiment numbers for the Taoyuan contest. All historical election data, candidate profiles, and platform details cited on this page derive exclusively from official election records, verified news coverage, and primary campaign announcements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the certified candidates in the 2026 Taoyuan mayoral election?

Two candidates are certified on the official ballot: Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰, Ballot #1) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and incumbent Mayor Simon Chang (Chang San-cheng, 張善政, Ballot #2) of the Kuomintang (KMT).

What is the institutional and electoral context of the 2026 Taoyuan mayoral race?

Taoyuan is electing its 4th-term mayor alongside 65 city council seats across 14 electoral districts. Taoyuan has been KMT-governed since Simon Chang won the 2022 election, succeeding DPP mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who served two terms from 2014 to 2022.

When and how is the official candidate platform presentation conducted?

The Taoyuan City Election Commission has scheduled one official platform presentation session on Tuesday, November 17, 2026 starting at 09:00 Taiwan time. It will be broadcast live on Taoyuan cable public-access channel 3 and YouTube. Each candidate receives two rounds of 12 minutes (24 minutes total). Because fewer than the statutory two-thirds of candidates agreed to a debate format, it is conducted as a televised platform presentation rather than a debate.

What are the key policy platforms of Huang Shih-chieh and Simon Chang?

Huang Shih-chieh proposes extending the MRT Green Line to Zhongli, developing Yangmei as a transport hub, expanding the Youshi industrial area Phase 2, restarting the Asia Silicon Valley plan, building a specialty medical network, medical staff housing, a second medical center, and services for new immigrants. Simon Chang pledges to build a municipal hospital, deliver the second administrative center at Zhonglu, keep expanding the MRT network (the city aims to open the MRT Green Line northern section by year-end), raise the social housing total to more than 5,000 units including one more year, and not introduce per-bag trash fees for ordinary households.

Why are opinion polls not published or cited on this page?

Under Article 53, Paragraph 3 of Taiwan's Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, publishing, reporting, distributing, commenting on, or citing public opinion polls regarding candidates or electoral districts is prohibited from November 18, 2026 at 00:00 through the close of voting at 16:00 on November 28, 2026. In accordance with statutory blackout regulations, InfoMiner does not publish or cite polling figures.

How does InfoMiner cover the Taoyuan mayoral race?

InfoMiner measures online discussion, not voting intention. High online discussion volume reflects media coverage and public engagement across public news sources and social platforms, but it does not measure voting intention and does not forecast ballot outcomes.

Numbered Primary Sources & Citations

  1. Executive Yuan Gazette, Aug. 20, 2026: Central Election Commission notice 中選務字第1153150253號: 公告115年直轄市長、縣（市）長、直轄市議員、縣（市）議員選舉之選舉種類、名額、選舉區之劃分、投票日期、投票起止時間及競選經費最高金額等事項 — https://gazette.nat.gov.tw/EG_FileManager/eguploadpub/eg032154/ch02/type3/gov15/num2/Eg.pdf
  2. TYENews, Oct. 27, 2026: 桃園市長議員抽籤結果出爐 14選區號次一次看 — https://tyenews.com/2026/10/1422618/
  3. CNA, Oct. 27, 2026: 桃園市長選舉號次抽籤　黃世杰1號、張善政2號 — https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aloc/202610270036.aspx
  4. Focus Taiwan, Oct. 27, 2026: Ballot number draw kicks off final stretch of Taiwan's local races — https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202610275001
  5. Newtalk, Oct. 27, 2026: 桃園市長號次抽籤出爐！ 黃世杰1號、張善政2號 — https://newtalk.tw/news/view/2026-10-27/1067577
  6. Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan): 公職人員選舉罷免法 第40條 (Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, Article 40) — https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawSingle.aspx?pcode=D0020010&flno=40
  7. UDN, Nov. 10, 2026: 選戰倒數 張善政、黃世杰17日電視政見會正面交鋒 — https://udn.com/news/story/124652/9869581
  8. China Times, Nov. 10, 2026: 桃園市長選舉公辦政見會17日直播 議員場次一次看 — https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20261110002779-260407
  9. NOWnews, Nov. 2, 2026: 懶人包／蔣萬安、沈伯洋何時再交鋒？六都候選人政見會時程出爐 — https://www.nownews.com/news/6888659
  10. Central Election Commission Election Database: 111年直轄市長選舉 (2022 special municipality mayoral elections) — Taoyuan City results — https://db.cec.gov.tw/ElecTable/Election/ElecTickets?dataType=tickets&typeId=ELC&subjectId=C1&legisId=00&themeId=05cc7b904c7a30cc7c88d5b10898c98e&dataLevel=C&prvCode=00&cityCode=000&areaCode=00&deptCode=000&liCode=0000
  11. CNA, July 22, 2026: 徵召北基桃6縣市長拚連任　鄭麗文：勝選是唯一目標 — https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202607220210.aspx
  12. Taiwan News, Sep. 24, 2026: KMT’s Chang San-cheng seeks re-election in Taoyuan — https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6445736
  13. Liberty Times, Oct. 17, 2026: 張善政批對手唱衰桃園 駁捷運、社宅零進度 喊話桃園是大家的桃園 — https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/5609870
  14. UDN, Nov. 9, 2026: 家戶垃圾隨袋徵收？ 張善政承諾不推 — https://udn.com/news/story/124652/9865755
  15. Next Apple News, Nov. 6, 2026: 張善政4年承諾與躍升　擘劃「全齡宜居」的智慧桃園 — https://news.nextapple.com/politics/20261106/F2B864F4B226E449245E7CE60F44DFE5
  16. CNA, Apr. 15, 2026: 挑戰張善政　黃世杰：找回桃園光榮感 — https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aloc/202604150269.aspx
  17. Taipei Times, Apr. 16, 2026: DPP names Taoyuan, Hsinchu mayoral candidates — https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/04/16/2003855699
  18. CNA, Sep. 2, 2026: 黃世杰登記參選喊桃園動起來　張善政持續市政行程 — https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aloc/202609020201.aspx
  19. Taiwan News, Sep. 24, 2026: DPP’s Huang Shih-chieh angles as more responsive Taoyuan mayoral candidate — https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6445628
  20. CNA, Nov. 2, 2026: 黃世杰楊梅拜票　提推動幼獅擴大二期、完善交通路網 — https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202611020035.aspx
  21. TYENews, Nov. 3, 2026: 桃園逾7萬名新住民怎麼照顧？黃世杰桃竹苗連線拋四大政見 — https://tyenews.com/2026/11/1425234/
  22. Liberty Times, Nov. 9, 2026: 張善政附和松機遷建 黃世杰專訪質疑：AI園區為何不能來桃園？ — https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/5634129
  23. Taipei Times, Nov. 10, 2026: Election body airs deepfake warning — https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/11/10/2003867471