TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Public dissatisfaction with Typhoon Danas disaster relief efforts has dramatically reshaped Tainan's 2026 mayoral race, driving opposition candidate Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) to significant gains against ruling Democratic Progressive Party frontrunner Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃). The political upheaval comes as incumbent Mayor Huang Wei-che's (黃偉哲) approval ratings plummet to historic lows following widespread criticism of the government's typhoon response, according to a TVBS survey released Monday (Sept. 15).
The TVBS Poll Center (TVBS民意調查中心) survey conducted Sept. 8-12 revealed stark public dissatisfaction with the government's typhoon response, with 52% of Tainan residents expressing disapproval compared to only 32% who were satisfied. The disaster response criticism has directly benefited Kuomintang, Taiwan's main opposition party, legislator Hsieh, with 57% of dissatisfied residents supporting him over Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chen's 26%.
Last July, Typhoon Danas brought devastating winds and torrential rains to Tainan, causing widespread flooding, multi-day power outages, damaged residential rooftops, and destroyed solar panels at multiple facilities across the southern Taiwan city. The storm's aftermath has emerged as a defining issue for the 2026 mayoral race, with the electoral gap between Chen and Hsieh dramatically narrowing from 16 percentage points in February to just 5 points currently.
Chen's support dropped 7 percentage points to 41%, while Hsieh gained 4 points to reach 36%, according to the poll of 1,007 Tainan residents aged 20 and above. Mayor Huang's approval rating fell to 42%, the lowest in polling history, while disapproval reached a record high of 41%. Solar energy policy has also become contentious, with 48% opposing continued government promotion compared to 35% supporting it. ◼
