TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-shan (黃珊珊) seems to have emerged as a favorite among the grassroots voters as she is set to formally join the Taipei mayoral race on Sunday (Aug. 28) with the election only three months away.
Huang said on the sidelines of a blood donation event in Taipei on Wednesday (Aug. 24) that she will resign after her work is done on Saturday when the 2022 Taipei Expo kicks off, wrote Cmmedia. She will run as an independent, pitted against former health minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Wayne Chiang (蔣萬安) of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT).
A poll conducted earlier this month suggested fierce competition with a less than 4% margin in support for the three candidates. While she lacks resources for a political party, the lawyer-turned politician has solid backing from the incumbent, Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), and a significant following at the borough level, according to Up Media.
Huang is considered more down-to-earth than Ko in the eyes of many borough chiefs, thanks to her two-decade experience as a city councilor. Her stint at city hall helps consolidate her image as one who listens to people, wrote the report.
After assuming office as a deputy mayor in 2019, the 52-year-old politician reached out to the chiefs of the city’s 456 boroughs in a year and created a contact network, leaving a positive impression on the grassroots community. This approach has allowed voices at the lower rungs to be heard by the leadership in a timely manner, hence more efficient implementation of policies.
The effort has paid off, with many traditionally leaning blue or green on the political spectrum having switched their support for Huang, said Up Media. One example is the Huannan Market in Wanhua, once at the center of a COVID-19 outbreak. Stall owners at the market have expressed their wholehearted support for Huang for visiting the market over a hundred times to assist with anti-pandemic work, while others shunned the place.
A market administration office member who traditionally identifies himself as a DPP supporter put it more bluntly. “Huang’s capabilities have been validated at the local level and she knows what businesses need,” but the other two candidates are not familiar with city governance and Chen is “ill-prepared,” wrote Up Media.