Wei Ping-cheng Responds to Claim of Lower Polls Than Tsai Pi-ju: 'Numbers Are Always Changing'

(CNA, Changhua, May 21, by reporters Wu Che-hao and Wang Chao-yu) In response to being told his poll numbers are lower than former legislator Tsai Pi-ju's, Kuomintang (KMT) Changhua County magistrate candidate Wei Ping-cheng said today that poll numbers are always changing and the ultimate goal is to win the election. The KMT and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are fielding Wei Ping-cheng and Legislator Chen Su-yueh, respectively, for the Changhua County magistrate election, while Tsai Pi-ju is also interested in running on behalf of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP). Wen Tsung-yu, the director of the TPP's Changhua County chapter, stated in an online media interview at noon that he was surprised by the KMT's nomination of Wei Ping-cheng, as people are unfamiliar with him and his political history. He noted that since people have only known Wei's name for about a month, it is normal for his poll numbers to be lower than Tsai Pi-ju's. Wen said that with the KMT's nomination controversy not yet fully settled, it is not appropriate for the TPP to add fuel to the fire. His most important job is to get the party's grassroots candidates elected and establish the party's local roots. Wei Ping-cheng told a CNA reporter that previous polls reflected the situation before his nomination, but support and name recognition are not the same thing. He aims to convert his name recognition into support. Additionally, Wen mentioned that the party chapter had asked grassroots candidates who they wanted as the 'mother hen' to lead the county magistrate race and help the 'chicks' (local candidates) win. There were local calls for TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang to run, but he has commitments in New Taipei City. Another consideration was Chiu Pei-lin, the deputy mayor of Keelung and daughter of former Examination Yuan President Chiu Chuang-huan, who is from Changhua. However, Chiu Pei-lin, with her experience in local governance, had other considerations. Wen concluded that the current situation in the Changhua magistrate election will be tough for whoever runs. When reached by phone, Tsai Pi-ju said that the nomination for county magistrate is the jurisdiction of the party's central committee. However, she felt that at this point, if the TPP can field a candidate in the Changhua election with higher poll numbers than the KMT's nominee, allowing her to fight for the party and prevent it from being marginalized, the county chapter director should theoretically be happy about it. Although she found Wen's comments 'strange,' she could only respect them. Chiu Pei-lin stated that her current priority is to focus on Keelung's municipal affairs and fully assist Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang. She hopes to help Hsieh win re-election in the future and ensure that TPP-nominated councilor candidates in Keelung—Lin Ting-han, Huang Shen-tung, Li Wen-yao, and Lu Cheng-yu—can all be elected, allowing more young, committed individuals to work for Keelung.