TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Public Opinion Centre released an analysis Thursday examining online traffic and sentiment toward potential Taoyuan mayoral candidates, showing DPP Legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川) leading in online attention but facing relatively high negative sentiment.
The analysis covered Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng (張善政), Wang Yi-chuan (王義川), and Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Ho Chih-wei (何志偉), tracking online discussions from Jan. 1 through Tuesday, per UP Media. Results showed Wang generating nearly three times as much online traffic as Chang.
However, negative posts about Wang outnumbered positive ones by more than three to one, suggesting comparatively low favorability. Chang, by contrast, recorded roughly equal levels of positive and negative sentiment.
TPOC analysts noted that previous polling has placed Chang’s approval rating at around 60%, suggesting his supporters may be comparatively less active online despite overall satisfaction. For Wang, analysts said the key challenge will be converting online visibility into electoral support while reducing negative sentiment.
Ho generated the least online traffic among the three candidates. His negative-to-positive sentiment ratio stood between the other two, with roughly two negative posts for every positive one.
Separately, FTV reported Monday that DPP factions had reached a consensus on a preferred Taoyuan mayoral candidate, naming Ho. DPP Spokesperson Wu Cheng (吳崢) denied the report, saying the party has not discussed the issue, per CNA.
The DPP’s Taoyuan chapter also released its list of city council candidates in December, nominating four fewer candidates than in 2024, despite Taoyuan gaining two additional council seats due to population growth, per Liberty Times. A DPP insider criticized the slate, warning that in Guishan District — where the DPP and KMT are evenly matched — nominating only two candidates for five seats in 2026 could effectively hand an additional seat to the KMT.
Another local party source warned that in Bade District, where the DPP nominated three candidates for five seats against two KMT candidates and a strong independent contender, the party could end up winning only one seat.
The DPP’s decision not to field a candidate against Taoyuan City Councilor and retired Army general Yu Pei-chen (于北辰) has also reportedly caused dissatisfaction within the party, per China Times. A former senior chapter chair noted that Yu has never joined the DPP caucus and voted with the KMT in the council speaker election, calling the move a troubling precedent.
A senior DPP member warned that even if all DPP council candidates were elected, the party could still fail to secure the speaker’s post because its nominees would make up less than half of the chamber. The source said the party’s conservative nomination strategy risks weakening the traditionally strong city council backing for DPP mayoral candidates in Taoyuan while ceding additional oversight power to the KMT.
