Chou Chia-wei: The Political Apprentice

Chou Chia-wei, aged 30, is running for Tainan city councilor in the North District and West Central District, representing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Tainan has not seen a change in power since 1936, and the polls suggest that the city will remain a DPP stronghold this cycle. Given the party’s significant incumbent advantage, most of its candidates are running for reelection– Chou stands out as a young, first-time candidate.

In Chou’s district, six city council seats are up for election. In the past, the DPP and the Kuomintang (KMT) have split these six seats evenly with longtime city councilors repeatedly running for reelection. In this cycle, KMT City Councilor Hsieh Lung-chieh will be running for mayor, while another KMT incumbent is stepping down. The DPP in turn nominated four candidates.

“The party wanted to run somebody that’s relatively younger and possesses more professionalism than the KMT candidates we’re seeing,” said Chou, explaining the DPP’s decision to nominate him in an attempt to claim an additional seat in the district.

While the DPP is known for supporting young and aspiring politicians, Chou’s road to being nominated in Tainan was no easy path.

After graduating from the National Cheng Kung University in 2015, Chou joined the office of Legislator Lin Chun-Hsien. Chou sees himself as a political “apprentice” to Lin, who was once an apprentice to the former mayor of Tainan and current Vice President William Lai. They are all members of the party’s New Tide faction.

While political lineages are common in Tainan, and even other parts of Taiwan, Chou said that such lineages bounded by non-familial ties are much rarer. Of the 1,686 candidates for city and county councilor, at least 353 come from political families– that’s nearly 21 percent.

“Starting a campaign from zero, a lot of constituents could find me on the streets, in the parks, and anywhere we could be seen,” said Chou, “just so they know that we have a new candidate in this race.”

Despite Chou’s years of local service under Lin, his low recognizability in a district largely dominated by incumbents and political families proved to be a challenge for a newcomer like himself. He came in fourth out of the five candidates in the party primary held for his district, narrowly defeating another firsttime candidate by 2.8 percent.

After the primaries, the DPP put into place campaign strategies that helped to introduce their new candidate. All four city council candidates are regularly seen stumping for one another at events. This is especially beneficial for Chou, as his fellow runners are all incumbents that come with name recognition.

“Unlike the KMT, our party works as a team,” said Chou, having experienced a change in popularity after campaigning as a group. This is one of the key differences that he believes will determine whether the party will obtain its fourth seat this year.

“I recently turned 30, and I want to take advantage of the energy and ambitions that come with my age to better serve my community,” said Chou, citing age as a personal factor that may set him apart from the opponents’ old politics.

Another factor is his legal background. While Chou stepped into politics right out of college, he also studied and practiced law. He believes that his candidacy has much to do with the sense of duty that comes with being a lawyer, but also with the injustices he saw in practicing law.

“People seek my legal consultations when they’re in trouble, and that’s usually when the situation is already quite dire,” said Chou, “but I’ve always wondered if I could tackle the source of their legal problems at the legislative level.”

Of the 10 candidates vying for the six city council seats in the district, only three have studied law. Chou hopes that age and professionalism are traits that constituents consider when casting their votes. However, these are also traits that third parties such as the New Power Party (NPP), Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), and Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP) associate with.

When asked if the rise of third parties in Taiwan’s political environment alarmed candidates of the ruling party, Chou admitted that the passion that these smaller parties campaign with has mounted some pressure on the DPP, but he welcomes the challenge.

“Everywhere I go to campaign, their candidates are always there too,” Chou said, “but I’m also motivated by the energy they bring to this election. I think the DPP, NPP, and TSP share a relationship that is characterized by improvement through competition.”

As for the TPP, Chou observed that its supporters in Tainan are often those from the pan-blue camp, which places the party in competition with the KMT. Chou believes that even though the DPP and KMT are still the major competitors in Tainan, the KMT and its aging voter base are the most affected by younger candidates from third parties.

“I've taken part in four elections now,” said Chou, referring to his past roles in legislative campaigns, “voters’ acceptance of young politicians is rising each year. In the past, age is seen as equivalent to experience, but over time, people seemed to realize that if we never give younger candidates the chance to gain the experience we expect them to have, we’ll always be stuck with the same politicians.”

Chou sees this reflected in the North and West Central districts, which can be considered the city’s cultural and educational hub. Its elderly community members, new immigrants, and young business owners are always eager to give new candidates a chance.

Chou aims to improve the standard of living in his district through his platforms on transportation, education, and elderly care.