TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) warned Tuesday that President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) falling approval ratings could weaken the party’s prospects in Kaohsiung’s mayoral race.

Chiu emphasized that while all DPP candidates still lead in current polling, KMT Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) is gaining ground, according to Newtalk. She urged the party to stay unified and restore public trust.

Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation Chair You Ying-lung (游盈隆) warned on Sept. 4 that unless the DPP changes course, it could lose every mayoral race except Pingtung County, per Storm Media. He criticized the party’s refusal to acknowledge mistakes, particularly its failed push to recall KMT legislators.

You added that Lai’s inability to remove longtime caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), who played a central role in the recall push, reflects the party’s failure to confront errors. He urged Lai to shift from confrontation toward cooperation with the opposition.

Formosa Chair Wu Tzu-chia (吳子嘉) suggested that recent incidents — including a fire at a Kaohsiung power plant — may reveal deeper issues tied to prolonged one-party rule, per NOWnews. He recalled how Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) won the 2018 mayoral election by capitalizing on public frustration over infrastructure failures after a major storm.

Wu said Ko has gained attention by exposing illegal excavation and waste dumping, raising concerns about DPP governance in the city. In response, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) pledged Thursday to hold those responsible accountable.

Not all analysts are pessimistic about the DPP’s chances. Political commentator Wang Jui-te (王瑞德) said DPP Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) consistently leads internal polling against both DPP rivals and Ko, per Storm Media.

Wang added that every DPP primary contender for Kaohsiung mayor continues to outperform Ko in head-to-head polls. A local DPP insider said that although Ko has a publicity boost, her strict adherence to KMT party lines may alienate Kaohsiung voters.

The insider also noted that since Han’s upset victory in 2018, the DPP has taken its internal primaries more seriously, adopting a more restrained approach to avoid the kind of hardball politics that could give the KMT another opening.