Yang Baozhen quits People's Party to contest Taichung Southeast District, intensifying 'four-woman race'

The election for Taichung City's Southeast District council seats has intensified with the withdrawal of Yang Baozhen, former spokesperson for the Taiwan People's Party, to run as an independent candidate. The district faces a reduced representation, with five seats cut to four for the next term, making the competition even fiercer. Yang, despite being a newcomer, is recognized for her strong online campaign presence and is expected to attract younger and centrist voters. This has put the incumbent female candidates from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Kuomintang (KMT) on alert. With Yang's entry, the district now features four prominent female candidates, leading to a popular saying that male candidates might be guaranteed a seat, while it's a 'war of women.' Yang acknowledges the challenge, noting the long-standing influence of the KMT and DPP in the district. She plans to engage directly with constituents to find an opening. The area, traditionally older, is seeing an influx of younger residents due to new developments like department stores and the Imperial Sugar Refinery, adding pressure on traditional vote-holding councilors. DPP councilor Chen Ya-hui emphasized her commitment to grassroots engagement and service, while newcomer He Yi-ling, daughter of former councilor He Min-cheng, expressed confidence in her party's base and the need to court swing voters. KMT incumbent Lin Pei-han faces significant pressure due to potential overlap in blue and white (KMT and TPP) votes but remains focused on her campaign.

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Blue and green have long had influence in the Southeast District. I can only visit people one by one to find a breakthrough.