TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — TPP Taichung City Council candidate Chiu Yu-shan (邱于珊) said Tuesday that TPP Legislative Caucus Convener and Taichung branch chair Chen Ching-lung (陳清龍) urged her to withdraw from the race.
Chiu said she was puzzled by the move, questioning the purpose of holding party primaries if the results could later be overturned, per ETtoday. She said her disappointment stemmed less from the possibility of losing the nomination than from what she described as the party’s failure to uphold its own rules.
She also alleged that the TPP is considering replacing her with her former primary opponent, former Taichung Information Bureau Director Wu Huang-sheng (吳皇昇).
Responding to Chiu’s claims, Chen said his efforts were aimed solely at maximizing the party’s electoral prospects, per Tai Sounds. He said he met with Chiu to discuss polling conducted by the TPP’s Taichung branch, which showed her trailing other candidates, and to explore possible solutions.
Chen said the party would follow its established procedures while pursuing the most beneficial outcome.
Wu echoed Chen’s remarks, saying any discussions were intended to improve the party’s chances in the election, per Liberty Times. He said he respects the party’s decision-making mechanisms and called on TPP candidates to resolve their differences.
After losing the primary to Chiu, Wu said “complex factors” contributed to the outcome but did not elaborate, per Newtalk. Political insiders suggested one factor may have been the party’s use of public opinion polling, which can allow supporters of rival parties to back candidates they view as posing the least threat.
Taichung’s Beitun District is expected to gain a seventh city council seat because of continued population growth, creating additional competition ahead of the 2026 local elections, per NOWNews. With three incumbents seeking re-election, the DPP, KMT, and TPP have each fielded new candidates to compete for the remaining seats.
According to local polling cited by party officials, Chiu currently trails independent candidate Tuan Ti-pei (段體佩), who is known for his prominent campaign billboards and frequent runs for public office.
