Chen Ting-fei secured the Democratic Progressive Party nomination after defeating Lin Chun-hsien in the January 2026 primary and has maintained a commanding lead in trader pricing ahead of the November 28 election. The Kuomintang selected Hsieh Lung-chieh as its candidate, continuing a long-standing matchup in which Chen has prevailed in prior legislative and council races. Candidate registration closed in early September with only two additional minor entrants, limiting the field. Tainan’s consistent support for DPP candidates in recent local contests, combined with the absence of a term-limited incumbent and efforts at internal party coordination, underpin the wide gap reflected in current market consensus. No major late developments have narrowed the positioning.