Yu Shu-chen, the Kuomintang nominee and Ji’an Township head, leads the November 28, 2026 Hualien County Magistrate race with strong trader consensus due to official party nomination, established local networks, and alignment with the county’s longstanding pan-blue voter base. Recent October polling shows her at roughly 30% support ahead of independents Chang Chun and Wei Chia-hsien, with large undecided shares; head-to-head scenarios widen her margin further. Ballot numbers drawn October 27 placed the main contenders sequentially, while the absence of a DPP candidate leaves roughly one-quarter of the electorate potentially pivotal amid pan-blue fragmentation. These dynamics have kept alternative outcomes at low implied probabilities ahead of election day.