Born to a family of fishermen in the Kaohsiung County town of Chiching, Chang Chau-hsiung is very grass-roots. Chang's parents-in-law, the prominent gynecologist Li Chih-ying and his wife, are on close terms with president and Mrs. Lee Teng-hui. They also have close connections to the opposition movement. In addition, Chang Chau-hsiung was one of the authors of DPP presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian's health care white paper.
出身高雄旗津漁民之家的張昭雄極具草根性，而他的岳父母、名婦產科醫師李枝盈夫婦不但與第一家庭過從甚密，也和民進黨及反對運動素有淵源，張昭雄更是陳水扁競選團隊「醫療白皮書」的執筆人之一。