Keelung council race draws 60 candidates for 32 seats, with 23 incumbents seeking re-election

Keelung’s city council election has drawn 60 candidates for 32 seats, setting up a crowded contest after registration closed on September 4. Twenty-three current councilors are seeking re-election, while 37 newcomers have entered the race, including an internet celebrity, council aides and political heirs.

The council will have 32 seats in the coming term, up from 31. The change includes one additional seat for a mountainous Indigenous representative, created after amendments to Taiwan’s Local Government Act. Four candidates registered for that new position. The distribution of seats also changes by district, with Ren’ai losing one seat and Xinyi gaining one.

The race includes several family substitutions. In Zhongzheng District, incumbent Hsu Jui-tzu is pursuing other career plans, so her mother, Chiang Ching-jung, registered in her place. In Ren’ai District, incumbent Tseng Chi-yen is being held in connection with a case, and his son Tseng Wei-hsiang registered as a candidate. Former councilor Chuang Jung-chin also stepped aside in favor of his son, Chuang Chieh-yu.

The election for Keelung’s 21st council is scheduled for November 28. Among the newcomers is independent internet celebrity Wang Chen-chueh, who is 24 and the youngest council candidate in this election. The mountainous Indigenous race features Kao Yuan-hsiao of the Democratic Progressive Party, independent Hsu Ma Cheng-yun, independent Lin Chung-tao and independent Kao Li Mao-chun.