Wu Hsiu-hua, the Kuomintang nominee and incumbent Taitung County Council speaker, leads the market at 72.5% as the election approaches on November 28, 2026. Taitung's long-standing KMT structural advantage, including strong performance in recent presidential and legislative races, underpins trader consensus around her position as the successor to term-limited incumbent Yao Ching-ling. KMT early nomination, cross-party endorsements such as from the Taiwan People's Party, and her institutional role have reinforced this positioning. DPP nominee Chen Ying, a sitting legislator with indigenous Lowlands heritage and family political ties, holds 25.1% and represents the main opposition challenge in a county where the DPP has never won the magistrate post, though her appeal among indigenous voters offers a potential path. Multiple independents, including Li Wu Ying-chih at 0.1%, and other listed candidates remain at minimal levels, reflecting limited viability in current assessments.