Taiwanese family politics adds another "mother-daughter team"! Lu Shumei, a key ally of Wang Jinping, announced her retirement, and her attractive daughter will officially take over to run for the Kaohsiung City Councilor. The phenomenon of family politics in Taiwan, such as husband-wife teams, father-son teams, sister-brother teams, and mother-son teams, has once again attracted attention.
Shu Meimei, a Kaohsiung City Councilor, entered politics at the age of 23 and will turn 40 next year. As the Kaohsiung City Councilor for the third district (Gangshan, Qiaotou, Yanchao, Zikan, Mituo, Yong'an), she has won eight consecutive terms, serving as both a county councilor of Kaohsiung County and deputy speaker of the Kaohsiung County Assembly. After the merger, she served as a city councilor of Kaohsiung City, deputy speaker, and acting speaker of the Kaohsiung City Council. She today announced the "beautiful接力," and her daughter Huang Yunhan will run for the next term's councilor, while she will become a political volunteer and retreat to the background to continue serving voters.
This "mother-daughter team" is just a new footnote to the long-standing phenomenon of family politics in Taiwan. The complex power networks formed by various family relationships like husband-wife, father-son, sister-brother, and mother-son are ubiquitous in Taiwan.
Regarding husband-wife teams, Fu Kunqi and Xu Zhenhui are the most typical representatives. Fu Kunqi, former Hualien County magistrate and current Kuomintang (KMT) legislator and party group convener; his wife Xu Zhenhui, current Hualien County magistrate, was previously a KMT legislator. For more than a decade, the county magistrate of Hualien and the only Hualien legislator have alternated between this husband-wife duo. Fu Kunqi is also known as the "Hualien King."
As for father-son teams, such as Lien Chan and Lien Shengwen. Lien Chan, former chairman of the KMT and vice president of the Taiwan region, passed on his political resources to his son Lien Shengwen, who is now the KMT vice chairman.
Take Chiang Hsiao-yan and Chiang Wan-an for example. Chiang Hsiao-yan is Chiang Kai-shek's son, having served as Taiwan authority's foreign minister. Chiang Wan-an, as the fourth generation of the Chiang family to enter politics, is now the Taipei mayor and is seen as the rising star within the KMT, likely to represent the KMT in the 2032 Taiwan regional leader election.
In the green camp, Chen Zhe-nan and Chen Chi-mai: Chen Zhe-nan is a close confidant of Chen Shui-bian and was imprisoned for corruption; his son Chen Chi-mai is the current Kaohsiung mayor, returning to politics through family background and support from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Regarding mother-daughter teams, Su Zhen-chang and Su Chiao-hui stand out: Su Zhen-chang served as Taiwan's premier and chairman of the DPP, and was one of the four great leaders of the DPP during Chen Shui-bian's era. His daughter Su Chiao-hui is the current legislator of New Taipei City, frequently interacting with her father in questioning sessions, seen as a typical case of power inheritance.
As for sister-brother teams, take Ko Chien-ming and Ko Shu-min for example: Ko Chien-ming is a veteran DPP legislator and has long served as the general convener of the DPP caucus, known as the "permanent convener." His younger sister Ko Shu-min was a legislator of the People First Party (PFP), sharing political resources despite being in different parties.
The siblings Xie Yifeng and Xie Dianlin from Changhua County have drawn much attention in recent years. They come from a political family, with their mother being the former legislator of the KMT, Zheng Rufen. The three generations of the family have formed a "political dynasty." Xie Dianlin is the current speaker of the Changhua County Assembly and left the KMT in 2023 to support Guo Tai-ming's bid for the 2024 Taiwan regional leader election before returning to the blue camp through interactions with Lien Shengwen. Xie Yifeng, Xie Dianlin's elder sister, is the current legislator of the third district of Changhua County. In May 2025, she survived a recall vote by a margin of over 7,000 votes, making her a popular candidate for the KMT's 2026 Changhua County magistrate race. The Xie family controls the local factions in Changhua, consolidating their influence through grassroots organizations such as agricultural associations and water conservancy associations.
As for mother-son teams, Guo Suchun and Hong Mengkai. Hong Mengkai, in the 2024 legislative elections, received 158,596 votes and 58.71% of the vote in the first constituency of New Taipei City, setting a historical record for the highest vote-getting "district legislator" across Taiwan. His political background and family lineage present a typical mother-son team. His mother, Guo Suchun, is a senior KMT political figure, having served as a legislator from 2002 to 2008 and playing a long-term role in important KMT auxiliary campaigns. She has close ties with Lien Chan and led his campaign publicity work, considered a core member of the KMT's "Lien connection."
In the green camp, Yu Chen-yueh, Yu Cheng-kai, and Yu Cheng-dao: Yu Chen-yueh is the second-generation leader of the Kaohsiung Black Faction and served as county magistrate; her son Yu Cheng-kai was the Minister of the Interior, and Yu Cheng-dao was a legislator, forming a family political dynasty.
The formation of Taiwanese family politics has multiple causes and impacts. Firstly, the intergenerational transmission of political resources. Families pave the way for future generations through personal connections, funds, and fame. For example, Su Chiao-hui quickly rose to prominence thanks to the influence of her father Su Zhen-chang, and Ko Chien-ming's younger sister, Ko Shu-min, although belonging to the People First Party, can still be elected as a legislator by leveraging her brother's political network.
Secondly, the close relationship between local factions and party structures. Local factions in Taiwan (such as the black faction in Taichung and Kaohsiung) form power groups through family marriages and interest exchanges, and political parties tend to support political families to increase their chances of winning elections. For instance, the Kaohsiung Black Faction has long cooperated with the DPP, and the career paths of figures like Yu Cheng-kai cannot be separated from factional support.
Moreover, it is related to voter psychology and cultural factors.
Some voters' trust in families or their pursuit of the "celebrity effect" make family members more likely to gain votes. For example, Chiang Wan-an's identity as a descendant of Chiang Kai-shek garnered attention during the Taipei mayoral election.
This kind of family politics has also been criticized for its social impact. Political monopolies can lead to centralized power, squeezing the development space for emerging political forces. For example, the black faction in Taichung has long monopolized local elections, making it difficult for third-party forces to break through.
Moreover, family politics often involves interest transfers. Fu Kunqi and his wife were accused of using county government resources to pressure enterprises, and the Yu family used agricultural associations and water conservancy associations to control local economies, both sparking legal disputes.
Family members may prioritize family or factional interests over public welfare. For example, Su Chiao-hui's stance on the pork issue was questioned due to its connection to her father Su Zhen-chang's political interests.
Finally, family politics exacerbates class rigidity, and young voters' dissatisfaction with "elitist politics" may lead to social opposition. In the 2022 "nine-in-one" elections, some family candidates lost due to the "second-generation corruption" label, reflecting a shift in public opinion.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832789330284804/
Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views.