TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Facing a host of accusations during the campaign, former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislator Ann Kao (高虹安) nevertheless beat the odds by defeating the candidates of the country’s two main parties, and winning the election for mayor of Hsinchu City on Saturday (Nov. 26).

The TPP's nomination of Kao disrupted the traditional electoral contest between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Kuomintang (KMT) in this year's Hsinchu City mayoral elections. Kao, 38, is seen as close to Foxconn Technology founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) due to a stint working as an executive for his group.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) named Deputy Mayor Shen Hui-hung (沈慧虹) as their nominee, while the Kuomintang (KMT) nominated veteran Hsinchu City Councilor Lin Ken-jeng (林耕仁).

At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Kao mounted the stage at her campaign headquarters to claim victory. According to results from the Central Election Commission at that time, Kao won the race with about 45% of the vote, Shen was second with 36%, while Lin was trailing in a distant third position with 18% of the vote share. Voter turnout in the northern city was a little over 61%, according to TTV.

Saturday’s result was a rare success for the TPP and for its chairman and founder, outgoing Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). Ko is widely expected to mount a bid for the presidency in the next national election, which will be held in January, 2024.