Jason Hu

A reason for the failure to bring the Guggenheim to Taichung may have something to do with the Terror Poster that was used as a part of the pan-Blue presidential campaign of Lien Chan and James Soong in the 2004 presidential race.[6][7]

The presidential election itself was very close, and hot tempers broke out all over the country, especially in Taipei and Kaohsiung. There was also potential for serious trouble in Taichung as well as pan-Blue supporters had begun demonstrating overnight. Mayor Hu went out at about 3:30 in the morning and was successful in dispersing the one or two thousand people by 5:30. Mayor Hu remarked, "Because I knew that if I didn't do anything by 5:30 am, people getting out of bed would find out about it on the radio or television. There'd be 10,000, 20,000 people. By then you wouldn't be able to resolve it."[8]

Jason Hu won re-election with relative ease in the three-in-one elections on 3 December 2005 with a nearly twenty percent margin of victory over Democratic Progressive Party challenger Lin Chia-lung. His second term began in early 2006 and ended in early 2010. He was under pressure in 2010 after the shooting of Weng Chi-nan revealed potential ties between Taichung City Police and gangsters.[9]

On 25 December 2010, Taichung City was merged with Taichung County and upgraded as a united special municipality named "Taichung City". Hu defeated DPP candidate Su Jia-chyuan in 2010 Republic of China municipal election on 27 November 2010 for the mayoralty of the newly created municipal city.

2010 Taichung City Mayoral Election Result
Party		#	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Democratic Progressive Party	1	Su Jia-chyuan	698,358	48.88%
	Kuomintang	2	Jason Hu	730,284	51.12%
Total				1,428,642	100.00%
Voter turnout				73.15%

After the shooting of Taiwanese fisherman by a Philippine government vessel on 9 May 2013 within disputed waters in South China Sea, Hu urged Taichung residents to avoid traveling and investing in the Philippines, and asking for members across the party line to stand united against the Philippine government.[10]

Mayor Jason Hu campaigning for his 2014 Taichung mayoral election.

On 29 November 2014, Hu joined the Republic of China municipal election as a Kuomintang candidate for Mayor of Taichung going against Lin Chia-lung of the Democratic Progressive Party. Hu however lost to Lin.[11]

2014 Taichung City Mayoral Election Result
No.	Candidate	Party	Votes	Percentage
1	Jason Hu	KMT	637,531	42.94%
2	Lin Chia-lung	DPP	847,284	57.06%

In December 2014, Hu accepted an offer from Feng Chia University to serve as department chair upon the conclusion of his third mayoral term.[12] In February 2015, Hu joined the China Times.[13] Eric Chu, the KMT's 2016 presidential candidate, named Hu the manager of his campaign in December 2015.[14]

Hu is married to the former actress Shirley Shaw.[15][16] He and his wife have a daughter, British born actress Judy Hu, and a son, Jess Hu.[17][18]

On 18 November 2006, returning from a campaign rally for KMT Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Huang Chun-ying (黃俊英), the vehicle Hu and his wife, Shirley Shaw were riding in was hit by another vehicle and overturned. Hu suffered minor injuries, while Shaw suffered severe injuries and had to be put into a drug-induced coma to preserve her life.[19] Shaw's left forearm was amputated, and her spleen was removed.[20] Shortly after the crash, the Legislative Yuan proposed an amendment to the Road Traffic Management and Punishment Law requiring the driver and all passengers in a car use seat belts.[21] Shaw recovered enough in February 2007 to return home during Lunar New Year.[22]