TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫) on Tuesday called on Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) to reconsider her decision not to run for party chair.

Lu recently confirmed she would not enter the race, but Chu described her as the KMT’s strongest potential candidate and urged her to rethink, per Storm Media. His remarks followed KMT Legislator Lo Chih-chiang’s (羅智強) announcement that he is running for chair.

While acknowledging Lo’s bid, Chu reiterated his support for Lu. He added that many in the party base want the next chair to double as the KMT’s 2028 presidential candidate.

Six people have formally declared their candidacy: Lo, Sun Yat-sen School President Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), KMT Central Standing Committee member Sun Chien-ping (孫健萍), former Changhua County Magistrate Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源), former legislator Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), and former Deputy Secretary-General Chang Ya-ping (張雅屏).

With Lu opting out, Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) was floated as a potential candidate but also declined, citing her mayoral duties, per Newtalk. Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍) suggested the party should consider Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) as a possible leader, per Liberty Times.

Former Taichung Tourism and Travel Bureau Director Lin Hsiao-chi (林筱淇) praised Lu’s decision, saying her continued focus on Taichung may bolster the KMT’s standing in a key swing city, per UDN.

So far, no heavyweight has officially entered the race. National Changhua University of Education Associate Professor Liu Chao-lung (劉兆隆) noted many KMT lawmakers spent heavily on the recent recall campaign, leaving limited resources for the 2026 local elections, per Awakening News Network.

The detention of local KMT officials across Taiwan over alleged petition forgery has also weakened the party’s organizational capacity. In addition, the party chair must raise roughly NT$100 million (US$3.2 million) per month to sustain central operations.

Liu said many senior members are reluctant to see these funds used for party operations rather than preparing for the 2028 presidential race. Ongoing discussions about a potential alliance with the Taiwan People’s Party add further complexity to the leadership contest.