DPP mayoral candidate leads by 3 points in New Taipei City poll
A new poll shows Taiwan's DPP mayoral candidate Su Chiao-hui leading KMT rival Lee Shu-chuan by three points in New Taipei City ahead of the November 28 local elections. The KMT camp says the gap has narrowed significantly from an earlier poll and expressed confidence in their candidate's chances.
A new opinion poll shows the candidate of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Su Chiao-hui, holding a narrow lead over her Kuomintang (KMT) rival in the race for mayor of New Taipei City ahead of the November 28 local elections.
The survey, conducted by the pro-KMT United Daily News and released on Monday, 10 November, gave Su 42 per cent support. Her opponent, 68-year-old engineer Lee Shu-chuan, trailed with 39 per cent. Nineteen per cent of respondents were undecided.
The three-point lead for Su, a 50-year-old legislator and the daughter of former Premier Su Tseng-chang, threatens the KMT's two-decade hold on New Taipei, which has been considered a blue stronghold since 2005.
However, Lee's campaign director, Chiang I-chen, expressed confidence on Monday, noting that the gap had narrowed significantly from an October poll, in which Lee had trailed by 13 points. Chiang also said that the KMT's internal polls since May had consistently shown Lee maintaining a steady lead. He described opinion surveys as a 'scientific tool, not a campaign weapon.'
KMT New Taipei chairman Huang Chih-hsiung predicted a voter turnout of between 60 and 65 per cent. He said that Lee's victory would depend on mobilising the existing KMT base while also winning over centrist voters, young people, and supporters of the smaller Taiwan People's Party.