2026 Daejeon Mayoral Race: Lee Jang-woo’s Bold Strategy to Unite Against Democratic Dominance

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Lee Jang-woo, the People Power Party’s candidate for mayor of Daejeon, announced a mammoth campaign headquarters and formally launched his bid on the morning of the 4th, injecting fresh momentum into the local race.

The PPP’s Daejeon chapter followed up that evening, holding a candidate roundtable at 8 p.m. at Lee’s campaign office in Tanbang-dong to rally contenders and rekindle momentum.

At the meeting, Lee told district mayoral and city/district council candidates, “We are gradually coming together. We have a historic duty to check the Democratic Party and the Lee Jae-myung administration’s unilateral rule.” He added that if they unite without even small discord and move forward steadily, he is confident Daejeon voters will reward them with favorable results.

Lee Eun-kwon, chairman of the PPP’s Daejeon chapter, stressed that only a united front can prevail. He urged council candidates who drew the “Na” ballot position to approach their campaigns with sincerity rather than complaints, and asked everyone not only to work for their own wards but also to promote their district mayoral and mayoral candidates—urging them to run twice as hard.

Park Hee-jo, the Dong-gu mayoral hopeful, emphasized that the conservative camp must grow stronger and healthier, calling on PPP candidates to campaign with genuine sincerity to earn voters’ trust and provide a check on the Lee Jae-myung administration.

Kim Seon-gwang, the Jung-gu mayoral hopeful, quoted a proverb: “When one person walks, footprints remain; when many walk together, a road is made.”

Seo Cheol-mo, the Seo-gu mayoral hopeful, vowed to do his utmost to deliver Seo-gu—the most populous of Daejeon’s five districts—to victory.

Jo Won-hwi, the Yuseong-gu mayoral candidate, said he would fly the People Power Party flag in Yuseong, appealing to the pride of Chungcheong residents and framing the effort as a conservative stronghold campaign.