TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Puzi Mayor Wu Pin-jui (吳品叡) announced Sunday that she will run for Chiayi County magistrate as an independent, seeking to end the DPP’s longtime hold on the county.
Wu highlighted her experience in local government, noting that she served as a Puzi City representative before being elected mayor for two terms, per Liberty Times. She said her administration eliminated the city's NT$80 million (US$2.4 million) debt while increasing the Double Ninth Festival cash gift for senior citizens from NT$200 to NT$2,000.
Wu said her decision to run as an independent was intended to offer voters a new choice rather than continue the agenda of any one political party, per CNA. She also thanked the KMT, the TPP, and other political groups for their support.
KMT Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) praised Wu's years of public service and urged Chiayi County voters to support her candidacy, per NOWNews. TPP Chiayi mayoral candidate Chang Chi-kai (張啓楷) said the party would support Wu's campaign, bolstering the opposition coalition.
DPP Chiayi County magistrate candidate Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) responded to Wu's announcement by saying he would continue his campaign at his own pace, per SETN.
Although Wu is not currently affiliated with any political party, her father, Wu Po-wen (吳博文), serves as the KMT's Puzi City branch chair, per UDN. Local political observers said Wu delayed announcing her candidacy because she had little chance of defeating Tsai without unified backing from the KMT, TPP, and local political factions.
Observers said the KMT's local organizational network, combined with high-profile support from the TPP, ultimately helped persuade Wu to enter the race. They added that Wu's political resume, together with the KMT's mobilization efforts and TPP backing, has transformed the contest from a traditional KMT-DPP race into a race between the DPP and a united opposition coalition.
