Taiwan's 2020 Election Analysis

On January 11, 2020 Taiwan's voters went to the polls for presidential and legislative elections. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) retained both the presidency and a legislative majority of 61 out of 113 seats. The magnitude of the DPP's victory was surprising; barely a year earlier it was drubbed in local elections. Between November 2018 and January 2020, domestic and external factors became far more favorable to the DPP and the incumbent president, Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). Tsai and her party changed policy and personnel, whereas the KMT standard-bearer, Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), failed to live up to expectations. Tsai's robust defense against PRC pressure was an important factor, as it came at a time when Taiwanese voters' perceptions of the PRC were being shaped by the upheaval in Hong Kong.