Complications began as soon as the first candidates were nominated: Liu Chao-eh, Chang's widow, withdrew her candidacy two days after she had been persuaded by the DPP to announce that she would run in the election. The DPP then drafted You Ying-lung, a Hualien native and deputy superintendent of the Ketagalan Institute who had thrice run for legislative and county elections, to make a fourth bid for county commissioner.
首先是提名過程曲折，原本為國民黨籍的張福興，其遺孀劉詔娥在民進黨勸說下宣佈以無黨籍身分參選，但隔天又宣佈退選，民進黨臨時決定徵召出身花蓮、曾參與一次立委與二次縣長選舉的凱達格蘭學校副校長游盈隆，四度重披戰袍。