TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A new survey released Wednesday shows support for the DPP surpassing that of the KMT and TPP combined, underscoring challenges facing the opposition coalition.

According to the Formosa poll, 21% of respondents identified as KMT supporters, while 7.4% supported the TPP, per UP Media. Support for the DPP stood at 39.7%, exceeding the combined KMT-TPP total of 28.4%.

The survey also found that 54.5% of respondents expressed distrust toward KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), while 56.1% said her meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping would hurt the party’s prospects in the 2026 local elections, per UP Media. Meanwhile, TPP supporters were the only group in which a majority expressed support for former TPP Chair Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), with respondents in all other categories showing net distrust.

Former DPP lawmaker Lin Cho-shui (林濁水) said the results suggest that Cheng, Ko, and TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) are dragging down the opposition’s electoral prospects, per Storm Media. However, he added that despite strong economic performance — including GDP growth of around 8% for two consecutive years, driven in part by the artificial intelligence boom — approval ratings for President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) remain below water.

Lin said the opposition’s weak performance could allow the DPP to make gains, but noted there is still room for improvement. The poll was conducted March 26 – 28 among 1,076 respondents and had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Meanwhile, the KMT is continuing efforts to strengthen cooperation with the TPP. The party said Wednesday that its mayoral or magistrate candidates in New Taipei, Yilan County, and Chiayi City may campaign for TPP city or county council candidates.

KMT Culture and Communications Committee Chair Yin Nai-chin (尹乃菁) added that Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑), whose Deputy Mayor Chiu Pei-lin (邱佩琳) is a TPP member, would be permitted to campaign for TPP candidates, per CNA.

Yin said that in areas not formally designated for KMT-TPP cooperation, including Taoyuan and Changhua County, party members may campaign for TPP candidates with prior approval from local branches and notification to the disciplinary committee. She added that party members approved to campaign for TPP candidates may not criticize the KMT.

Ko’s recent conviction has complicated the election strategy for the coalition. While more than 20 KMT lawmakers attended a pro-Ko rally Sunday, several senior figures — including Cheng, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), and Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) — were absent, per Mirror Media.

Among TPP candidates in Taipei, those running in more competitive districts have been less vocal in supporting Ko. A TPP aide said it remains unclear whether associating with Ko is politically advantageous, particularly in areas where both the KMT and TPP face strong DPP competition.

Within the KMT, concerns are also emerging that the party’s legislative majority could be at risk as lawmakers shift focus to upcoming mayoral and magistrate races, per Mirror Media. A KMT aide said that while the TPP’s influence has declined, it still holds enough support to affect election outcomes.

The aide added that the TPP’s continued relevance is a key reason the KMT has maintained its support for Ko despite internal reservations.