KMT Chair Cheng Li-wen Urges Unity in Changhua, Supporting Wei Ping-cheng for Magistrate

KMT Chairperson Cheng Li-wen attended a rally in Changhua County on Sunday evening to endorse party-nominated magistrate candidate Wei Ping-cheng, emphasizing a high degree of unity within the party. She stated that the KMT team, including incumbent Magistrate Wang Hui-mei, will "return to the fold" to help Wei secure victory. Cheng pointed out in her remarks that to prevent the opposition's so-called "evil forces" from prevailing, the KMT must present an image of "great unity," consolidating local and central resources to prevent the deterioration of political infighting. These remarks not only serve as a political declaration for the upcoming local elections, but also demonstrate the KMT's intention to reshape party cohesion through leadership in the face of internal and external challenges.

In past elections, Changhua County has consistently been a focal point of fierce competition between the KMT and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Since the 2018 local elections, the KMT has repeatedly lost seats and the magistracy in the county to the DPP, prompting internal personnel and strategic adjustments within the local party branch. When Wei Ping-cheng announced his candidacy for county magistrate late last year, he initially highlighted his local factional roots and past administrative experience, but encountered tug-of-wars between the party headquarters and local factions during the nomination process. Cheng's personal appearance at the rally is intended to send a message to both inside and outside the party: the party headquarters has unified its steps and will fully support Wei's campaign, hoping to rally dispersed local branches and prevent the loss of electoral advantages due to internal fractures.

As the incumbent magistrate, Wang Hui-mei's performance over the past four years in local infrastructure and social welfare has won approval from some voters while drawing criticism over controversial issues. Her role within the party is not only that of an administrative chief, but also the "facade" and "bridge" for the KMT in Changhua. Cheng's mention that "Wang Hui-mei will return to the fold" implies that Wang's stance within the party is firmly on the united front and that she will assist Wei in integrating resources and securing voter support. If Wang fully commits to the campaign as Cheng claimed, it will help boost the KMT's local organizational and mobilization capacity—particularly in grassroots communities and traditional support bases such as farmers' associations—to counter the DPP's urban-rural integration strategy.

On the other hand, Cheng's reference to the "opponent's evil forces" during the rally indicates that the KMT continues to portray the DPP or other competing forces as disruptors of local order. Such language is a common offensive and defensive tactic in Taiwan's political arena, aimed at stirring emotional resonance among supporters both inside and outside the party while shifting the electoral focus toward "protecting the locality" and "stopping evil forces." If this strategy can be successfully translated into voter intentions, it will have a substantive impact on the upcoming magistrate election; however, it may also intensify political confrontation and make the local political atmosphere more tense.

Overall, Cheng's endorsement is not only a boost to Wei's personal campaign, but also a symbol of the KMT launching a new round of integration and mobilization at the local level. From the party leadership to the coordination of local administrative heads, if the "great unity" mentioned by Cheng can be effectively implemented, it will help the KMT rebuild its electoral foundation in Changhua and provide a template for elections in other key counties and cities nationwide. In the coming weeks, whether Wei's campaign gains significant momentum through the concentration of party resources will be an important indicator for observing the effectiveness of the KMT's local election strategy.