TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The DPP is facing mounting challenges in its efforts to unseat senior KMT legislators in traditional KMT strongholds following the failure of the July 26 recall campaigns.
Seven KMT legislators will face recall elections on Saturday. A separate referendum on Taiwan's Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant will also take place at the same time.
According to DPP insiders in Taichung, three prominent KMT legislators — Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒), and Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) — remain entrenched in districts formerly part of Taichung County, per UP Media. These areas are characterized by an aging and geographically dispersed population, making both media-based and ground-level campaigning more difficult to execute.
In response, local DPP campaigners have shifted focus to bread-and-butter issues. For instance, they are highlighting policies such as shorter wait times for Chinese spouses applying for Taiwan passports — a topic they argue resonates more with voters than the anti-China rhetoric that dominated the failed July 26 recall efforts.
DPP strategists acknowledge some improvement in public sentiment following the Cabinet’s rollout of grants to small businesses impacted by US tariffs. However, they say mobilization among small- and medium-sized enterprises remains sluggish.
Taichung DPP insiders pointed out the recall elections targeting Chiang and Yang may be a prelude to the KMT’s mayoral primary. Both legislators appear to be competing to show they can mobilize support and position themselves as potential successors to Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕).
Despite this, DPP insiders argue the KMT may misread the outcome of the Aug. 23 recall elections. With the DPP still largely playing a supporting role in Taichung, they caution the KMT could overestimate its chances in the 2026 mayoral race.
Meanwhile, in New Taipei City, DPP officials admitted to keeping their campaign against Legislator Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才) relatively low-profile. They said aggressive campaigning in the July 26 recalls appeared to have backfired, increasing KMT voter turnout.
On the issue of the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant referendum, internal DPP assessments suggest the TPP lacks the mobilization capacity necessary to push the measure through.
The DPP has also come under criticism from high-profile figures such as Robert Tsao (曹興誠), founder of United Microelectronics Corporation, per Newtalk. Tsao blamed the recall campaign failures on the party’s unwillingness to ban Chinese apps like RedNote and TikTok.
Tsai argued that youth disengagement in the anti-KMT recall efforts reflects a weakening of Taiwan’s resistance to Chinese influence. He pointed to India’s 2020 TikTok ban as an example Taiwan could follow.
Further criticism came from Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation Chair You Ying-lung (游盈隆), who renewed his condemnation of DPP lawmaker Puma Shen (沈伯洋) and the party’s recall strategy, per Storm Media. While You acknowledged recall as a legitimate democratic tool, he said it should not be used as a method for “eliminating the opposition.”
You accused Shen of insulting voters by attributing the recall's failure to Chinese cognitive warfare. He emphasized that the cause of protecting Taiwan from the Chinese Communist Party should not be used to justify domestic political maneuvers.
Citing widespread negative international media coverage of the July 26 outcome, You argued that the recall efforts lacked legitimacy and ultimately harmed Taiwan’s democratic integrity.
