ATLANTA, Dec. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Atlanta City Councilmember Alex Wan, a long-time Morningside homeowner and civic leader, has announced his bid to represent Georgia State House District 57. This follows the recent announcement by State Rep. Pat Gardner that she will retire after the 2020 General Assembly.
"I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Rep. Gardner for her nearly 20 years of public service and leadership representing us under the Gold Dome," Wan says. "I have called District 57 home for more than 25 years. Over that time, I have worked alongside friends and neighbors across the district, tackling our community's challenges. I look forward to continuing to fight for our shared issues – imperatives – in the State Legislature at such a critical juncture."
Wan served as an Atlanta City Council member for Council District 6, which overlays much of House District 57, for 8 years. Since that time, he continues his community service as the Fulton/Atlanta citizen representative on the Atlanta Regional Commission Board and as a member of the Mayor's LGBTQ Advisory Board.
"The progressive, inclusive values we share as Atlantans are under attack at the state and federal levels," Wan says. "Our collective fight for access, opportunity, inclusion, equality AND equity is ongoing."
He enumerates some of the issues in peril: The right to a fair and secure voting process; the right for women to control their own reproductive health; the imperative to ensure affordable housing and our ability to age in place; and the right for all of us to live our lives safe from discrimination based on who we are.
"At the same time we must continue championing environmental and sustainability initiatives, a robust slate of accessible and affordable transportation alternatives and, of course, quality comprehensive education for children from across this great district," Wan says.
"I hope that my service to our district since I moved here over 25 years ago has demonstrated the kind of representative I will be," Wan says. "Voters know my values. They know my commitment to service. They know that I'm accessible. And voters know that my experience on the Atlanta City Council and relationships I have developed with state and national elected officials will be invaluable. I've made great strides with fellow voters in tackling many City-driven issues and am ready to tackle those that rely in great part on State participation."
Wan was the first Asian American and first openly gay man elected to the Atlanta City Council. His professional experience includes the private, public, non-profit and higher-education sectors. He is Executive Director of Horizons Atlanta, a nonprofit that provides tuition-free summer enrichment programs for children from traditionally underserved communities.
Wan holds a Bachelor's in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech and a Finance MBA from Wharton Business School and has completed educational programs at Dartmouth and Harvard.
"As Georgia House Representative for District 57, I'll continue to fight for our shared, inclusive values," Wan says. "My vision for our state comes from my heart. In part, my respect for Atlanta is rooted in our rich Civil Rights history, but I know we have much more work to do. Let's continue our conversations about our needs, our priorities, and our values that I'll be privileged to take to the Gold Dome on our behalf."
Members of the Georgia House are elected for two-year terms, with the election to be held in November 2020, taking office in January 2021.
For more information about Wan and his campaign: www.AlexWanForAtlanta.com.
Media contact:
B. Andrew (Drew) Plant
[email protected]
404-634-7102
Cell: 678-637-5532
SOURCE Alex Wan for Atlanta
Share this article