Taiwan’s November 2022 Mid-term Election

Abstract

In late 2022, Taiwan held its every four years mid-term election that was comprised of almost all of its local electoral contests; the ruling Democratic Progressive Party lost. President Tsai Ing-wen was blamed for the defeat for having focused excessively on tension with China while ignoring local problems. She was also seen to depend too much on the Biden administration’s China’s policy. After the election, observers predicted the election would give the opposition Nationalist Party (or Kuomintang, KMT) momentum to win the national presidential, vice-presidential and legislative election in January 2024. Subsequent events and polls, however, indicated a close contest.