TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Former Legislator Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) won the election for KMT chair Saturday, winning about half the votes from party members, according to media reports.

The attorney defeated her closest competitor, former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) by a margin of more than 10%. She will be sworn in as the new opposition party leader during a congress on Nov. 1.

Incumbent Eric Chu (朱立倫) told a news conference at 6 p.m. that he had congratulated Cheng on her victory, even though the final results had not been fully calculated, per CNA. Chu had decided not to run for another four-year term, while Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) rejected pressure to join the race. 

Lu is widely viewed as a potential presidential candidate for 2028.

Cheng, 55, started her political career as a National Assembly member for the DPP. She left the party in 2002 and joined the KMT three years later.

One of the main challenges for the new opposition party chair will be to win mayoral and local elections in late 2026, and presidential and legislative elections in January 2028. The KMT has lost three consecutive presidential elections.

During her campaign, Cheng was labeled as one of the most vocal pro-Chinese candidates. Meanwhile, Hau profiled himself as the moderate candidate most likely to help the KMT win back support from the public at large.

As polls had predicted, Cheng finished at the top of a field of six candidates. Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) received about 10% according to preliminary results, with Sun Yat-sen School President Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), former Changhua County chief Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源), and former National Assembly member Tsai Chih-hung (蔡志宏) trailing far behind. 

The KMT said 331,145 party members were eligible to vote, but the final turnout is expected to be less than half.