Taiwan’s Presidential Election Results and Political Landscape
Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected president of Taiwan on January 13, 2024, securing 40.05% of the vote. He will be inaugurated as the eighth president of the Republic of China. The election took place as part of the 2024 general elections, with incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP ineligible for reelection due to term limits.
The DPP nominated Vice President Lai Ching-te as their candidate in March 2023, and he subsequently chose Hsiao Bi-khim, the then-Representative of Taiwan to the United States, as his running mate.
Hou Yu-ih, the incumbent New Taipei mayor, was nominated by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) in May 2023. He selected former Legislative Yuan member Jaw Shaw-kong as his running mate in November of the same year.
Ko Wen-je, leader of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and a former Mayor of Taipei, also ran for president, choosing Legislative Yuan member Cynthia Wu as his running mate. The TPP secured 26.46% of the vote.
Businessman Terry Gou initially launched an independent bid for the presidency in September 2023 but ultimately withdrew in November. Prior to his withdrawal, there were discussions between the KMT and the TPP regarding a joint ticket, but the two sides were unable to reach a final agreement.
The election saw a turnout of 71.86%, with a total of 19,548,531 registered voters. Lai Ching-te received 5,586,019 votes, while Hou Yu-ih received 4,671,021 votes and Ko Wen-je received 3,690,466 votes.
As of today, February 2, 2026, the political landscape in Taiwan continues to be shaped by the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. The transition of power to President Lai Ching-te is complete, and his administration is now focused on governing the Republic of China.
