Taiwan: Candidate's political 'comeback' is not her first time stepping in for her husband

Chen Kuang-fu's wife, Wu Shu-chin, is stepping forward to run for election in Penghu County, a move that might appear novel to some but is not her first foray into 'standing in for her husband' in politics.

While many may view Wu as a political newcomer, she revealed on Facebook that this is a case of 'fighting again.' She recounted an instance in 1988 when her husband, Chen Kuang-fu, was running for a Kaohsiung City councilor position. Following his arrest and a 10-month sentence for protesting, Wu was prepared to step in and contest the election on his behalf. However, a legal interpretation of the local autonomy law allowed Chen to retain his eligibility, and he went on to win the election by a significant margin while serving his sentence.

Wu and Chen married in 1981. After Chen's initial election as a Kaohsiung City councilor, Wu resigned from her nine-year career in early childhood education to manage his constituency office. She handled constituent services, gathered public opinion, and engaged in policy discussions. Chen later gained prominence for exposing corruption in the Kaohsiung city government in 1988. His subsequent arrest and imprisonment for protesting led to Wu's readiness to enter the political arena.

The couple relocated to Chen's hometown of Penghu in 2000. Chen served as Penghu County Magistrate from 2014 and was re-elected in 2018 but lost re-election in 2022. He was elected again in 2022. Despite Chen's current political challenges, Wu is described as a complementary yet independent driving force alongside him.

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I am 'fighting again.'