2015 Taiwanese legislative by-elections

The 2015 Taiwanese legislative by-elections were held on 7 February 2015 in Taiwan to elect 5 of the 113 members of the Legislative Yuan for the remaining term until 2016. No change in the party composition of the Legislative Yuan resulted from the by-elections; three Democratic Progressive Party candidates won the seats vacated by DPP legislators, and two Kuomintang candidates won the seats vacated by KMT legislators.^[1]

2015 Taiwanese legislative by-elections

← 2012 7 February 2015 (2015-02-07) 2016 →
5 of 113 seats in the Legislative Yuan 57 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Tsai Ing-wen Eric Chu Party DPP Kuomintang Leader since 28 May 2014 19 January 2015 Last election 40 seats, 34.62%[a] 64 seats, 44.55%[a] Seats before 37 63 Seats won 3 2 Seats after 40 65

Background

The by-election was the result of resignations by Kuomintang legislator Hsu Yao-chang from Miaoli County's 2nd district; Lin Chia-lung, Democratic Progressive Party legislator for Taichung City's 6th district; Wei Ming-ku, Democratic Progressive Party legislator for Changhua County's 4th district; Lin Ming-chen, Kuomintang legislator for Nantou County's 2nd district; and Pan Men-an, Democratic Progressive Party legislator for Pingtung County's 3rd district.

Hsu Yao-chang, Wei Ming-ku, Lin Ming-chen, and Pan Men-an won their elections for county magistrate, and Lin Chia-lung won his election for mayor in the 2014 local election. Under the Article 73 of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act [zh], if any positions become vacant due to resignation or election to another office, and the vacated term is longer than one year, a by-election shall be completed within three months commencing from the date of resignation.^[2]

On 5 December 2014, the Central Election Commission announced that by-elections for Taichung 6 and Changhua 4 were to be held on 7 February 2015.^[3] Candidate registrations for the two seats were open from 22 to 26 December 2014.^[4] On 26 December 2014, the CEC announced that the by-elections for Miaoli 2, Nantou 2, and Pingtung 3 were to be held on 7 February 2015 as well.^[5] Candidate registrations for these three seats were open from 26 December 2014 to 9 January 2015.^[6]

Miaoli 2

By-election for Miaoli 2 constituency took place on 7 February 2015.^[7] Kuomintang called in head of Gongguan Township Hsu Chih-jung [zh] to contest the seat.^[8] Democratic Progressive Party called in legislator Wu Yi-chen to contest the seat. The DPP originally supported Sunflower Student Movement activist Chen Wei-ting [zh]'s bid, but Chen dropped out after allegations of sexual harassment against him surfaced online.^[9]

Opinion polls

Poll Organization	Date of completion	Hsu Chih-jung	Wu Yi-chen	Chen Shu-fen	Undecided
TVBS	30 December 2014	29%	37%	-	34%
TVBS	26 January 2015	33%	34%	2%	31%

Results

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Hsu Chih-jung	Kuomintang	47,105	58.21
	Wu Yi-chen	Democratic Progressive Party	32,966	40.74
	Chen Shu-fen	Independent	851	1.05
Total			80,922	100.00
Valid votes			80,922	99.38
Invalid/blank votes			508	0.62
Total votes			81,430	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			231,684	35.15

Taichung 6

By-election for Taichung 6 constituency took place on 7 February 2015.^[10] KMT called in Deputy Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan Hsiao Chia-chi to contest the seat.^[11] DPP called in Taichung City councillor Huang Kuo-shu to contest the seat.^[12]

Opinion polls

Poll Organization	Date of completion	Hsiao Chia-chi	Huang Kuo-shu	Undecided
TVBS	7 January 2015	33%	41%	26%

Results

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Huang Kuo-shu	Democratic Progressive Party	45,143	57.83
	Hsiao Chia-chi	Kuomintang	32,917	42.17
Total			78,060	100.00
Valid votes			78,060	99.45
Invalid/blank votes			435	0.55
Total votes			78,495	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			255,203	30.76

Changhua 4

By-election for Changhua 4 constituency took place on 7 February 2015.^[13] KMT called in former Changhua County magistrate Cho Po-yuan to contest the seat.^[14] DPP called in Changhua County councillor Chen Su-yueh to contest the seat.^[12] Former Changhua County councillor Hung Li-na announced her bid as an independent after leaving the KMT.^[15]

Opinion polls

Poll Organization	Date of completion	Cho Po-yuan	Chen Su-yueh	Hung Li-na	Undecided
TVBS	19 December 2014	47%	38%	-	15%
TVBS	8 January 2015	28%	34%	9%	30%

Results

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Chen Su-yueh	Democratic Progressive Party	51,907	53.61
	Cho Po-yuan	Kuomintang	34,707	35.84
	Hung Li-na	Independent	9,774	10.09
	Chang Chun-nan	Independent	443	0.46
Total			96,831	100.00
Valid votes			96,831	99.22
Invalid/blank votes			766	0.78
Total votes			97,597	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			259,816	37.56

Nantou 2

By-election for Nantou 2 constituency took place on 7 February 2015.^[16] KMT called in Nantou City mayor Hsu Shu-hua to contest the seat.^[17] DPP called in former legislator Tang Huo-shen to contest the seat.^[18] Former legislator Chen Cheng-sheng of the People First Party had previously announced his intention to run, but Chen dropped out and supported Tang as the opposition candidate.^[19] Assistant professor Shih Chin-fang announced his bid as an independent after leaving the KMT.^[20]

Opinion polls

Poll Organization	Date of completion	Hsu Shu-hua	Tang Huo-shen	Shih Chin-fang	Undecided
TVBS	17 December 2014	37%	35%	-	28%
TVBS	12 January 2015	42%	27%	2%	29%

Results

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Hsu Shu-hua	Kuomintang	38,694	51.12
	Tang Huo-shen	Democratic Progressive Party	34,938	46.16
	Shih Chin-fang	Independent	2,060	2.72
Total			75,692	100.00
Valid votes			75,692	99.42
Invalid/blank votes			440	0.58
Total votes			76,132	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			205,390	37.07

Pingtung 3

By-election for Pingtung 3 constituency took place on 7 February 2015.^[21] KMT's nomination shortlist included legislator Su Ching-chuan, former legislator Liao Wan-ju [zh], and Director-General of the Pingtung County Farmer Association Huang Jui-chi. The KMT ultimately called in Liao to contest the seat.^[22] DPP called in former Taipei City councillor Liao Wan-ju to contest the seat. Former Executive Yuan advisor Huang Chao-chan [zh] had also expressed interest in running, but the DPP nominated Liao after comparing results from hypothetical head-to-head polling.^[23]

Opinion polls

Poll Organization	Date of completion	Liao Wan-ju	Chuang Jui-hsiung	Undecided
TVBS	29 December 2014	25%	60%	15%

Results

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Chuang Jui-hsiung	Democratic Progressive Party	42,988	65.88
	Liao Wan-ju	Kuomintang	20,627	31.61
	Tsai Tsung-jung	Independent	1,448	2.22
	Wu Chia-ti	Independent	193	0.30
Total			65,256	100.00
Valid votes			65,256	99.52
Invalid/blank votes			312	0.48
Total votes			65,568	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			250,139	26.21

Notes

1. Vote share in party-list votes.

References

1. "DPP wins three seats, KMT two in legislative by-elections (update)". Central News Agency. Retrieved 2021-12-21 – via Taiwan News.
2. Civil Servants Election And Recall Act. Ministry of the Interior. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
3. "公告第8屆立法委員臺中市第6選舉區及彰化縣第4選舉區缺額補選之投票日期、投票起止時間、選舉區、應選出名額及競選經費最高金額等事項". Central Election Commission (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2021-12-21.
4. "公告第8屆立法委員臺中市第6選舉區及彰化縣第4選舉區缺額補選候選人登記期間、地點、應備具之表件及應繳納之保證金數額等事項". Central Election Commission (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2021-12-21.
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6. "公告第8屆立法委員苗栗縣第2選舉區、南投縣第2選舉區及屏東縣第3選舉區缺額補選候選人登記期間、地點、應備具之表件及應繳納之保證金數額等事項". Central Election Commission (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2021-12-21.
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17. "市長許淑華 宣布角逐立委補選". Liberty Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2021-12-21.
18. "南投立委補選 民進黨推湯火聖" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Central News Agency. Retrieved 2021-12-21 – via Taiwan News.
19. "南投在野整合成功 湯火聖出馬選立委". China Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2021-12-21.
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