But in his last elections to represent the plains aboriginals, he won more votes each time, and in these latest chief executive elections Chen Chien-nien won 68 % of the vote, the highest figure ever for a Taitung County chief.
但四次「平地山胞」選舉以來，其得票數節節高升，至此次地方百里侯大選，陳建年囊括逾六成八的選票，創下台東縣歷來縣長的最高得票率。