Ko Wen-je, founding chairman of the Taiwan People's Party, has returned to the campaign trail at the local level to drum up votes for one of the party's county councillors in Yunlin, a sign that the small party is positioning itself early for the 2026 local elections.

• Ko attended a Zhongyuan Ghost Festival event in Hu Wei, Yunlin, primarily to appear alongside Chen Yi-chen, a TPP county councillor seeking re-election.
• The group set out from Hu Wei Tianhou Temple and handed out campaign trinkets along the street, with supporters shouting "Go, Uncle!" — an indication that he retains a degree of popularity at the local level.
• Hu Wei ranks alongside Keelung as host of the largest Ghost Festival rites of the seventh lunar month. This year's event combined attractions such as a "meat mountain" offering, ice sculptures, divination-block tossing and fireworks, making it a significant draw for crowds in the area.
• Asked whether he would meet with Shen Po-yang, the Democratic Progressive Party's candidate for Taipei mayor, Ko replied, "I haven't thought about it yet, we'll see," declining for now to discuss cross-party contacts.

Outlook: The TPP is expected to keep using temple festivals and holiday events to shore up its grassroots vote, while word on whether Ko and Shen will meet is not expected until next week.