Wang Mei-hui, the Democratic Progressive Party nominee and sitting legislator for the Chiayi City district, holds a commanding lead in the November 28, 2026 mayoral race due to her established grassroots network, repeated recognition as a top-performing legislator, and recent high-profile backing from President Lai Ching-te at her October 11 campaign headquarters launch. The DPP's structural edge in the city, combined with Wang's policy focus on social housing, elderly welfare upgrades, youth retention, and coordination with Chiayi County on infrastructure and economic opportunities tied to nearby semiconductor investments, underpins trader consensus around her strong position. Chang Chi-kai, the Taiwan People's Party candidate backed by a KMT-TPP coordination agreement after an internal primary, trails as the main challenger but benefits from opposition consolidation and appeals to younger voters. Minor independents and other nominees register negligible support in available polling and market pricing. The race remains open to shifts from late-campaign mobilization or turnout patterns among key demographics.