Mayor Hu takes to the streets
to thank Taichung voters.

Ecstatic crowds cheer as Hu's
election victory is confirmed.

KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou
visited Taichung to support
Jason Hu.

Mr. and Mrs. Taichung Mayor
cast their ballots.

A moment of honor: Jason Hu is elected as the Taichung Special Municipality's first mayor

Text and photos by Taichung City Goverment
Translated by Angel Pu

The Taichung mayoral election, preceded by dedicated campaign efforts by both the KMT and DDP, took place on November 27. After strong competition from his DPP opponent, incumbent Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu was elected to become the first mayor of the new Taichung Special Municipality. In his remarks during and after his election, Hu said he would spare no effort to bring Greater Taichung to the world, adding that he believed the most important responsibility of this lifetime was to ensure that Taichung had a better future.

A respectable competitor, humble in victory
In this first-ever Taichung Special Municipality mayoral election, Jason Hu represented the KMT and was a consistent front-runner in pre-election polls, thanks in part to his good educational background and experience, as well as his global perspective. However, the final tally of ballots revealed that it was a close-fought race the entire time. When it was confirmed that Hu had officially surpassed the number of votes needed to win, the crowds at his campaign headquarters burst into applause and cheers, underlining a very enthusiastic, celebratory atmosphere.

Later on, the newly-elected mayor and his wife, Shaw Hsiao-ling, arrived at the campaign headquarters to thank supporters. Hu said it was impossible for him to be unsatisfied by his narrow margin of victory, as the most important thing in an election was whether one won or lost. Commenting on the fewer-than-expected votes he received, he said that this may have resulted because people were not satisfied with his performance, or because they declined to turn up and vote for some reason. However, he added that he would bear the results in mind as a warning to him to do his best, even as he praised his DPP opponent Su Jia-chyuan as a strong competitor and said that Su should feel proud even in defeat.

Victory congratulations from President Ma
To the cheers of his supporters, Hu emotionally remarked that this was the biggest honor of his life. Noting that his biggest responsibility was to give Taichung a better future, he said that the election result showed that people in Taichung are looking for a better future and won't tolerate failure. The mayor hopes that citizens will continue encouraging him and spurring him on, as he tries his best to meet citizens' expectations and push Taichung into the global spotlight.

When supporters repeatedly yelled, "I love you, Mayor Hu!", he humorously responded, "I love you, too, but my wife is my favorite. The citizens come in second." Then he hugged and kissed his wife in appreciation for her support during the campaign. When it was confirmed Hu had won the election, President Ma Ying-jeou called to congratulate him immediately, while Premier Wu Den-yih also sent him a congratulatory tablet.

The burden is heavy and the road is long
The new mayor said the election tasks could not be achieved by one man. Given the enormous area of the expanded special munipality and his desire to not hinder city administration, he took a leave of absence when the mayoral campaign officially began. However, 15 days were still not enough for him to visit all of the city's townships and villages. He thanked Taichung citizens for electing him as their mayor, and said he would lead this city to a bright future. The first day after the election, Hu also took his campaign team to both Taichung county and city areas to thank voters. Given the welcome he received from residents along the roads during this trip, it is very obvious that Hu remains a very popular leader.