Local elections were held in Taiwan on 26 November and 18 December 2022 to elect county magistrates (city mayors), county (city) councilors, township mayors, township councilors and chiefs of village (borough) in 6 municipalities and 16 counties (cities). Elected officials would serve a four-year term. The election was held alongside the 2022 Taiwanese constitutional referendum.
The election resulted in a big loss for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party as all the mayoral and magisterial political candidates in the north were defeated. Tsai Ing-wen, the incumbent President of the Republic of China, resigned as party head after the poll, triggering a by-election for the position.
Background The Democratic Progressive Party announced in November 2021 that, prior to the 2022 elections, the party's chairperson would select candidates for mayoral posts in the special municipalities. Candidates would then be subject to approval by the party's central executive committee. Localities in which DPP-affiliated incumbents were ineligible for a third consecutive term will hold party primaries. To contest local offices held by Kuomintang members, the Democratic Progressive Party planned to host internal discussions to propose candidates and permit the party leader to nominate interested candidates for central executive committee approval.
It was reported in September 2020 that the Kuomintang would rely on opinion polls and satisfaction surveys to nominate candidates prior to the 2022 elections. Though the party had supported a of Legislative Yuan member Chen Po-wei of the Taiwan Statebuilding Party, the KMT lost the subsequent by-election to replace him, and was unsuccessful in targeting independent legislator Freddy Lim. In addition to these electoral losses, proposals backed by the Kuomintang during the 2021 Taiwanese referendum also failed.
The New Power Party began naming candidates for local office in January 2022. In June, for the first time in party history, NPP-backed candidates for mayoral and magisterial posts were selected.
On 14 January 2022, the Central Election Commission announced that local elections would be held on 26 November 2022. After the death of candidate Huang Shao-tsung on 2 November 2022, the Chiayi mayoral election was rescheduled for 18 December 2022. Over 17,000 polling stations were open, from 08:00 to 16:00 on 26 November 2022, and more than 11,000 offices were contested in the election.
In the run-up to the elections, Taiwanese law enforcement carried out raids under the Anti-Infiltration Act on individuals suspected of buying votes on behalf of China.
Results The KMT won fourteen mayoral or magisterial seats, and the DPP won five seats. Taiwan People's Party (TPP) gained their mayoral seat in Hsinchu City and Kinmen County after chairman Ko Wen-je ineligible for re-election in Taipei. The election result, although broadly in line with expectations, was still a major defeat for DPP which was the worst electoral performance in the party's history. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, whose strategy to frame local elections as showing defiance to China failed, subsequently resigned as party chairwoman.
Vote summary +Vote summary of election at municipality and county levelPartyMagistrates, mayorsCouncillorsPopular votes±ppSeats+/-Popular votes±ppSeats+/-Kuomintang5,761,851 50.14% 1.35 14 4,306,343 37.75% 2.64 367 27Democratic Progressive Party4,776,258 41.57% 2.41 5 1 3,796,575 33.28% 2.23 277 39Taiwan People's Party534,848 4.65% New2 New456,627 4.00% New14 NewNon-Partisan Solidarity Union–––––108,9240.95%72New Power Party70,503 0.61% 0 177,666 1.56% 6 10Taiwan Solidarity Union–––––38,1930.33%32Taiwan Statebuilding Party–––––124,0701.09%22People First Party–––––11,8750.10%26New Party–––––34,4220.30%11Social Democratic Party–––––28,4170.25%1Green Party–––––13,9010.12%12Labor Party–––––7,3080.06%11Zheng Shen Ming Party–––––3,6910.03%New1NewTaiwan Obasang Political Equality Party–––––40,7040.36%New0New2,3670.02%N/A0N/A4,4800.04%N/A0N/ATaiwan Renewal Party1,8510.02%New0New2,8450.02%New0New–––––1,4980.01%0Chinese Unification Promotion Party–––––1,1600.01%09190.01%New0New–––––Golden Power Party–––––8160.01%0Jun People Party (台灣君民黨)–––––5630.00%0Happy People Party (台灣新住民黨)–––––5290.00%New0NewRepublican Party (共和黨)3160.00%N/A0N/A670.00%N/A0N/A2560.00%New0New–––––Taiwan Motive Force Party (前進黨)–––––2650.00%New0New中國和平統一黨–––––1820.00%N/A0N/ADragon Party (龍黨)1740.00%N/A0N/A–––––Taiwan People's Communist Party–––––1650.00%0National Socialist Chinese Labour Party (中國國家社會主義勞工黨)–––––990.00%0Independent707,021 6.15% 1 2,246,798 19.69% 227 7Total 11,490,975 100.00% 22 11,408,183 100.00% 9102 +Vote summary of election in townships, cities, indigenous districts, and villagesPartyMayors, chief administratorsCouncil representativesVillage chiefsPopular votes+/-Seats+/-Popular votes+/-Seats+/-Popular votes+/-Seats+/-Kuomintang990,848 31.64% 76 472,741 15.10% 294 1,545,74214.25%953Democratic Progressive Party897,075 28.64% 35 281,153 8.98% 123 409,7713.78%226Taiwan People's Party11,569 0.37% 0 25,686 0.82% 9 17,2760.16%3Labor Party6,6250.21%03,7550.12%1–––––New Power Party– – –– –5,922 0.19% 1 1,7680.02%1Chinese Unification Promotion Party––––––––––2,2910.02%2People's Democratic Party––––––––––3,9360.04%2––––––––––2,1800.02%1台灣澎友黨–––––2500.01%13290.00%0全國人民黨––––––––––1980.00%1Green Party–––––2,1200.07%0–––––––––––––––1,2630.01%0中華文化復興在理黨––––––––––9470.01%0––––––––––8450.01%0新華勞動黨––––––––––6850.01%05020.02%0480.00%0–––––––––––––––4670.00%0––––––––––3970.00%0經濟黨––––––––––3600.00%0前進黨––––––––––3500.00%0台灣進步黨––––––––––2560.00%0正黨––––––––––1990.00%0台灣學習黨––––––––––1810.00%0––––––––––1320.00%0Chinese People's Party––––––––––1250.00%0Civil Party–––––1370.00%0310.00%0共和黨–––––1140.00%0–––––台灣經濟發展黨––––––––––860.00%0People First Party––––––––––710.00%0For Public Good Party––––––––––510.00%0新生黨––––––––––140.00%0Independent1,225,291 39.12% 93 2,339,118 74.71% 1,709 8,856,76781.65%6,551Total 3,131,910 100.00% 204 3,131,244 100.00% 2,13910 10,846,732 100.00% 7,748 12
Elected officials and councils + Elected magistrates/mayors and council composition in the 2022 Taiwanese local electionSubdivisionMagistrate/mayorCouncilParty resultElectFirst partySeatsSecond partySeatsTotal seatsTaipei CityKMT gain from TPPChiang Wan-anKMT30 1DPP21 261New Taipei CityKMT holdHou You-yiKMT32 1DPP28 366Taoyuan CityKMT gain from DPPChang San-chengKMT29 3DPP24 663Taichung CityKMT holdLu Shiow-yenKMT32 DPP24 165Tainan CityDPP holdHuang Wei-cherDPP28 3KMT15 157Kaohsiung CityDPP holdChen Chi-maiKMT29 4DPP27 265Yilan CountyKMT holdLin Zi-miaoKMT13 DPP11 334Hsinchu CountyKMT holdYang Wen-keKMT19 DPP6 437Miaoli CountyIndependent gain from KMTChung Tung-chinKMT7 7DPP7 338Changhua CountyKMT holdWang Huei-meiKMT27 1DPP16 454Nantou CountyKMT holdHsu Shu-huaKMT13 4DPP8 37Yunlin CountyKMT holdChang Li-shanDPP11 1KMT9 243Chiayi CountyDPP hold Weng Chang-liangDPP18 1KMT8 137Pingtung CountyDPP holdChou Chun-miKMT19 2DPP13 255Taitung CountyKMT holdRao Ching-lingKMT18 3DPP2 130Hualien CountyKMT holdHsu Chen-weiKMT18 DPP3 33Penghu CountyDPP gain from KMTChen Kuang-fuKMT4 DPP3 19Keelung CityKMT gain from DPPGeorge HsiehKMT13 3DPP12 631Hsinchu CityTPP gain from DPPAnn KaoKMT12 3DPP8 234Chiayi CityKMT holdHuang Min-huiKMT6 1DPP6 223Kinmen CountyTPP gain from KMTChen Fu-haiKMT7 2DPP1 119Lienchiang CountyKMT holdWang Chung-mingKMT7 Independent9
Magistrate and mayor elections
Results +2022 Taiwan Magistrate/Mayor Election ResultsSubdivisionElectorateTurnout (%)WinnerRunner-upMapNameVotes%NameVotes%New Taipei City3,316,51756.60%Hou You-yi1,152,55562.42%Lin Chia-lung693,97637.58%Taipei City2,026,76967.70%Chiang Wan-an575,59042.29%Chen Shih-chung434,55831.93%Taoyuan City1,825,12759.46%Chang San-cheng557,57252.02%Cheng Yun-peng428,98340.03%Taichung City2,274,10760.01%Lu Shiow-yen799,10759.35%Tsai Chi-chang524,22438.93%Tainan City1,548,20358.68%Huang Wei-cher433,68448.80%387,73143.63%Kaohsiung City2,282,62358.61%Chen Chi-mai766,14758.10%Ko Chih-en529,60740.16%Yilan County374,77964.28%Lin Zi-miao119,42150.76%96,77941.13%Hsinchu County452,72058.98%Yang Wen-ke163,66263.36%83,68332.40%Miaoli County443,90867.20%Chung Tung-chin124,60342.66%91,26031.24%Changhua County1,028,60664.90%Wang Huei-mei369,13356.75%Huang Hsiu-fang272,81741.94%Nantou County406,19569.08%Hsu Shu-hua154,25655.99%Frida Tsai117,99342.83%Yunlin County559,27367.35%Chang Li-shan207,51956.57%Liu Chien-kuo152,62041.60%Chiayi County422,56867.32%Weng Chang-liang171,77762.85%101,51737.15%Pingtung County679,33067.18%Chou Chun-mi217,53749.09%Su Ching-chuan206,46046.59%Taitung County177,85364.79%Rao Ching-ling68,66161.22%41,10436.65%Hualien County266,05857.56%Hsu Chen-wei96,64564.73%Kolas Yotaka47,84532.04%Penghu County90,36058.51%Chen Kuang-fu18,77736.64%Lai Feng-wei17,08133.33%Keelung City307,91360.16%George Hsieh96,78452.92%71,35439.01%Hsinchu City350,75862.94%Ann Kao98,12145.02%77,76435.68%Chiayi City93,81343.99%Huang Min-hui59,87463.82%Lee Chun-yi32,79034.95%Kinmen County122,29439.32%Chen Fu-hai23,24849.34%Yang Cheng-wu19,34041.05%Lienchiang County11,81072.99%Wang Chung-ming4,33750.99%Tsao Erh-yuan3,58242.12%
Councillor elections Nominations ProvinceCountyMembersKMTDPPTPPNPPTSPGPTNPPFPNPSU OtherINDSpecial municipalityNew Taipei663836113134626Taipei61322885116828Taoyuan633632761111343Taichung6534341154539Tainan5719346353432Kaohsiung6535365672334 rowspan="15" valign="middle" Yilan County3415162221120 Hsinchu County37279422227 Miaoli County38101043145 Changhua County54282342226 Nantou County3720142231 Yunlin County439163239 Chiayi County37102324 Pingtung County552422111151 Taitung County302361130 Hualien County332872120 Penghu County1964117 Keelung31191352314 Hsinchu34158741126 Chiayi23109112116 rowspan="2" valign="middle" Kinmen County1991121 Lienchiang County9915Total 910 457 382 86 46 24 5 10 5 10 43 618
Results
ProvinceCountyMembersKMTDPPTPPNPPTSPGPTNPPFPNPSU OtherINDSpecial municipalityNew Taipei6632281 2 3Taipei6130214 1 14Taoyuan63292410Taichung653224117Tainan57152812110Kaohsiung652927 1215 rowspan="15" valign="middle" Yilan County341311 19 Hsinchu County371961110 Miaoli County3877 123 Changhua County54271629 Nantou County37138115 Yunlin County439111121 Chiayi County3781811 Pingtung County55131923 Taitung County3018210 Hualien County33183111 Penghu County1943111 Keelung31131224 Hsinchu341282318 Chiayi2366110 rowspan="2" valign="middle" Kinmen County197111 Lienchiang County972Total 910 367 277 14 6 2 1 1 2 7 6 227
Speaker/Deputy Speaker electionSpecial municipalitySpeaker (Party)Deputy Speaker (Party)ProvinceCountyNew Taipei (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)Taipei (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)Taoyuan (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)Taichung (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)Tainan (Democratic Progressive Party) (Democratic Progressive Party)Kaohsiung ( Democratic Progressive Party) (Independent)rowspan="14" valign="middle" Yilan County (Kuomintang) (Independent)Hsinchu County (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)Miaoli County (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)Changhua County (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)Nantou County (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)Yunlin County (Kuomintang) (Independent)Chiayi County (Democratic Progressive Party) (Democratic Progressive Party)Pingtung County (Kuomintang) (Independent)Taitung CountyWu Hsiu-hua (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)Hualien County (Independent) (Kuomintang)Penghu County (Kuomintang) (Independent)Keelung (Democratic Progressive Party) (People First Party)Hsinchu (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)Chiayi (Independent) (Independent)rowspan="2" valign="middle" Kinmen County (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)Lienchiang County (Kuomintang) (Kuomintang)
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