Lawmakers of Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party hug each other after the defeat in the recall election in Taipei, Taiwan, on July 26, 2025. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images
Twenty-four opposition lawmakers and a mayor survived Taiwan’s recall vote on July 26, according to the Central Election Commission, leaving the Kuomintang on track to maintain its legislative majority and handing President Lai Ching-te’s ruling party a setback.
The vote drew intense scrutiny because it had the potential to shift the balance of power in Taiwan, where months of gridlock have pitted the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government against a legislature controlled by the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) and its allies.
