TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang Chair Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文) said Monday the party plans to select Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) as its candidate for the 2026 New Taipei mayoral election.

Cheng said that because Lee is still serving in the Taipei City government, the KMT is expected to formally nominate him in early 2026, per UP Media. She added that a party primary may not be required for the selection process.

Asked about Taiwan People’s Party Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) announcing his bid for New Taipei mayor, Cheng said the KMT would first focus on finalizing its own candidate, per FTNN. On potential KMT-TPP cooperation to field a joint candidate, she said Huang understands the importance of unity and the broader political picture.

Cheng said cooperation between the KMT and TPP to date has been smooth.

Huang announced his candidacy Saturday, with former TPP Chair Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) appearing on stage in support. Cheng said the event demonstrated unity within the TPP and did not require further interpretation.

Separately, KMT Organizational Development Committee Chair Lee Che-hua (李哲華) said Wednesday that the KMT will work with the TPP to identify the strongest candidates in Hsinchu, Yilan, Chiayi, and New Taipei, per UDN.

A recent poll suggested that Lee would defeat Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, while Huang would lose to Su. Lee is the only potential candidate who consistently outperforms Su in the survey.

However, a TPP insider said allowing Huang to run as the opposition’s joint candidate in New Taipei is the party’s bottom line. The source warned that the TPP could withdraw from the coalition if Huang fails to secure the nomination.