Infighting within the Kuomintang has spilled into the open, with former Hsinchu County Magistrate Fan Chen-tsung publicly accusing party chair Cheng Li-wun of missteps in campaign strategy — bad news for morale in the pan-blue camp.

• Cheng Li-wun was accompanying Hsinchu County candidate Hsu Hsin-ying as she registered her candidacy when Fan Chen-tsung, invited to speak at the event, opened fire on her on the spot.
• Fan criticised the KMT for failing to unify internally and for being unable to reach an accommodation with the Taiwan People's Party, saying bluntly that a poor showing at the polls would be Cheng's responsibility.
• The two continued talking after the speech, during which Fan twice made as if to slap Cheng and was held back by bystanders; Cheng simply responded with a smile.
• Party officials played the incident down, saying the two have known each other since their days in the Democratic Progressive Party and that this is how they have always interacted.
• On the same day, Cheng also misspoke, saying "a blue-white showdown" before quickly correcting herself to "blue-white cooperation" — underscoring the awkwardness of blue-white integration.

Outlook: With just over eighty days until the vote, whether the blue and white camps can genuinely come together will be decisive in the races in Hsinchu County and Taipei City.