Chen argues that two factors enabled her to win the election without the massive local resources of Kaohsiung-born candidates: the city's open-armed acceptance of outsiders, and her own firm political beliefs.
沒有龐大在地資源的異鄉客能夠當選港都市長，除了高雄人開闊如海洋的性格接受了她──一如它讓許多異鄉遊子落地生根，陳菊相信，她本身堅定的政治信仰更是主因。