Taipei Mayor Wayne Chiang Wan‑an is locked in a fiercely contested re‑election battle that is being closely watched for its potential to weaken the main opposition party, the Kuomintang, and strain cross‑strait relations.
Just five months ago, Chiang appeared comfortably positioned for a second term in a city where the KMT has traditionally held a strong advantage over the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
A poll released by the local cable news network TVBS in late May showed him leading DPP challenger Puma Shen by 28 percentage points, reinforcing expectations that the incumbent could coast to another victory.
