TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said Wednesday he is open to the KMT and TPP fielding a joint candidate for the New Taipei City mayoral election.

During a radio interview with host Huang Kuang-chin (黃光芹), Huang Kuo-chang said he would support a united candidate with the KMT, but only if a fair selection process is established, per Up Media. He also acknowledged that while discussing a potential mayoral run is premature, preparing for it is not.

Taipei City KMT Interim Chair Tai Hsi-chin (戴錫欽), in a separate radio interview with host Huang Wei-han (黃暐瀚), discussed the possibility of KMT-TPP collaboration, per UDN. Tai said that once Taipei City KMT Chair Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹) is released from detention, expected by June, discussions on cooperation in Taipei City or Huang Kuo-chang's potential run in New Taipei City can commence.

This is not the first time Huang Kuo-chang has raised the prospect of a joint New Taipei City mayoral bid. He told Huang Wei-han on April 2 that he extended goodwill to the KMT at the start of the year, but did not receive a positive response, per Storm Media.

In a March 24 interview, Huang Kuo-chang indicated that he would need to consider the 2028 presidential election before deciding on a 2026 mayoral run, per ETtoday.

A previous report suggested that KMT Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) may seek the party chair, potentially proposing a 2028 KMT-TPP coalition government. Lu was rumored to be considering a presidential run with Huang Kuo-chang as her running mate.

After Huang Kuo-chang became TPP chair, Lu was the first major KMT official to meet him.