Gou announced Lai Pei-hsia as his vice presidential running mate at an emotional briefing in Taipei on Thursday. Lai is best know to Taiwanese audiences as a singer and as the actress who played a presidential candidate in the Chinese-language Netflix political drama Wave Makers, which is credited with triggering the #MeToo movement in Taiwan.
Gou and Lai face an uphill battle to reach the presidential office in January’s election. Gou has consistently polled in last place among the four declared candidates. Vice President and ruling Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te, no relation to Lai Pei-hsia, currently leads the race with 30% support, according to a survey released by broadcaster TVBS earlier this month.
In a tearful speech, Lai laid out her qualifications for vice president, touting her skills as a communicator. As well as a career as a singer and an actress, she has spent much of the past 30 years studying psychology, during which time she has written several books on relationships and communication.