Jeong Cheolwon wins with 51.8%... Democratic Party's Lee Jaejong gets 48.17%
Jeong differentiates himself from Lee by highlighting his political career in Damyang
Democratic Party loses in its stronghold despite Lee Jaemyung's direct involvement
In the by-election for the mayor of Damyang County, Jeollanam-do, Jeong Cheol-won, the candidate from the Joguk Innovation Party, was elected, marking the first time the Joguk Innovation Party has produced a local government head.
According to the vote count results from the Central Election Commission on the 2nd, candidate Jeong received 12,860 votes (51.8%) in the Damyang County mayoral by-election. This was 904 votes more than Lee Jae-jong of the Democratic Party, who received 11,956 votes (48.17%).
Jeong, originally from Geumseong-myeon, Damyang County, served three terms as a county council member and is currently the chairman of the Damyang County Council. He left the Democratic Party during the last local election, was elected as an independent county council member, and joined the Joguk Innovation Party to run in this by-election.
In Honam, known as a stronghold of the Democratic Party, Jeong differentiated himself from candidate Lee by emphasizing his political career solely in Damyang. Towards the end of the campaign, he secured support by raising suspicions about Lee’s asset declaration.
Despite the Democratic Party’s campaign slogan of "Judgment against the Yoon Seok-yeol administration" and the direct campaigning by party leader Lee Jae-myung, it appears difficult to recover from the negative public sentiment that blames the Democratic Party for the Damyang mayoral by-election. This election was held after former Damyang County mayor Lee Byung-no, affiliated with the Democratic Party, was disqualified due to a violation of the Public Official Election Act.
Jeong pledged to develop Damyang as ▲the number one inland tourism ecological garden culture city ▲a place for happy living, resting, and working ▲sustainable agriculture and rural areas with income ▲and a city of economic self-reliance through urban-rural convergence.
Yoon Jae-gwan, spokesperson for the Joguk Innovation Party, commented, "The result of the Damyang mayoral election is an encouragement to the Joguk Innovation Party, which fought at the forefront under difficult conditions against the Yoon Seok-yeol dictatorship, and a stern command from the people to do our best for political innovation." He added, "We will strengthen the party’s grassroots organization and do our utmost to fulfill the historic mission entrusted to the Joguk Innovation Party."
Meanwhile, in the by-election for Gwangyang City Council (District Da), Democratic Party candidate Lee Don-gyeon was elected, and in the by-election for Goheung County Council (District Ga), independent candidate Kim Jae-yeol won. In the Damyang County Council by-election (District Ra), Democratic Party candidate Noh Dae-hyun, who ran unopposed, was elected without a vote.
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