TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — If the Kuomintang (KMT) names Foxconn Technology founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) as its presidential candidate, he will barely receive more votes than Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), leaving Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) firmly in the lead, an opinion poll showed Tuesday (April 18).

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) named Lai, who also serves as its chairman, as its candidate for the Jan. 13, 2024 presidential election, while Ko was virtually certain of the TPP nomination. Only the KMT has not announced a choice yet, with New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) widely seen as the frontrunner, though Gou has continued to advocate his own readiness for the nomination.

If the KMT did pick the electronics tycoon, he would receive 26% of the vote, just slightly more than the 24.1% for Ko, though Lai would stay more than 9% ahead at 35.1%, according to a Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation survey.

In the case that Hou was nominated by the KMT, Lai would maintain his lead at 33.4%, Hou would receive 29.7%, and Ko would finish third with 22.6%.

TPOF Chairman Ying-lung You (游盈隆) said that 5.4% separated Gou and Hou from the frontrunner, so if the KMT based its choice on current opinion polls, the opposition party would pick the mayor of New Taipei City. However, because the gap between the two candidates was not large, waiting for the selection might see changes in support levels, according to You.

The TPOF conducted the survey April 9-11, receiving 1,068 valid responses with a margin of error of 3%.