TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan KMT mayoral candidate Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) was presented with a prop handgun on stage during a Thursday campaign event, an act organizers said was intended as a symbolic gesture.
Hsieh, a KMT legislator, formally accepted the party’s nomination on Wednesday. He attended a dinner for military veterans the following day, which also served as a campaign rally, according to CNA.
On stage, KMT Vice Chair Chi Lin-lien (季麟連) handed Hsieh a prop handgun. Chi loaded a magazine and racked the slide, describing the gun as a “mascot” and encouraging Hsieh to “fire a shot,” according to Yahoo News.
Chi, a former Marine, said he had planned to present a rifle to Hsieh but opted for a prop handgun instead due to high-speed rail transport restrictions. He added that the prop gun, made by a Marine Corps factory, was presented as a symbol to wish Hsieh a strong start to his campaign and a full-force effort.
Hsieh said the gesture reflected his campaign pledges to combat corruption, address collusion between politicians and business interests, and improve public security. Speaking to reporters after the event, Hsieh described the Tainan mayoral race as one of the most challenging contests nationwide, calling it a key test for the KMT in President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) political stronghold.
Hsieh previously ran for Tainan mayor in 2022, but was defeated by incumbent Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲), who received 433,000 votes to Hsieh’s 387,000, according to PTS. For the upcoming local elections on Nov. 28, the DPP has not yet picked its candidate.
Within the DPP, Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) has emerged as a frontrunner in polls, widening the gap with Hsieh and outperforming DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) in overall competitiveness, according to UDN.
