The 2008 Democratic Progressive Party chairmanship election took place on May 18, 2008. The election date was announced by chairperson Frank Hsieh after losing the presidential election.
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 County-level units with Tsai Ing-wen leading. County-level units with Koo Kwang-ming leading. Area with no party office (Lienchiang County). | |||||||||||||||||
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Candidates
Three members expressed their desire to run for the position:
Chai Trong-rong
Chai Trong-rong, first president of the World United Formosans for Independence and former legislator, announced his candidacy on April 14, 2008.[1] He withdrew from the election on May 12 and endorsed candidate Koo Kwang-ming.[2]
| Endorsements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Former faction | Political office | References |
| Hsu Tain-tsair | Justice Alliance | Mayor of Tainan | [3] |
Koo Kwang-ming
During Koo Kwang-ming's campaign, he made controversial remarks towards Tsai Ing-wen about the suitability of an unmarried woman leading. He then apologized to all women in Taiwan for those statements.[4]
| Endorsements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Former faction | Political office | References |
| Chai Trong-rong | Welfare State Alliance | Member of the Legislative Yuan | [2] |
| Chen Shih-meng | Secretary-General of the Presidential Office | [5] | |
| Shieh Jhy-wey | N/A | Minister of the Government Information Office | |
Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen, former vice premier and former chairperson of the Mainland Affairs Council, won support from many local executives and decided to launch her campaign. She earned endorsements from Chiayi County magistrate Chen Ming-wen, Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chu, Tainan County magistrate Su Huan-chih, and Yunlin County magistrate Su Chih-fen.[6]
| Endorsements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Former faction | Political office | References |
| Chen Chu | New Tide | Mayor of Kaohsiung | [7] |
| Chen Ming-wen | Justice Alliance | Magistrate of Chiayi County | N/A |
| Su Huan-chih | Justice Alliance | Magistrate of Tainan County | [7] |
Results
| Candidate | Total votes cast | Percentage of vote | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tsai Ing-wen | 73,865 | 57.1% | [8] |
| Koo Kwang-ming | 48,882 | 37.8% | |
| Chai Trong-rong | 6,530 | 5.1% | |
| Voter turnout | 51.1% | ||