Wan wins District 6 Council race

Businessman and civic leader Alex Wan wins Atlanta City Council District 6 seat

Atlanta, December 1, 2009 – Alex Wan, a businessman and civic leader, won the Atlanta City Council District 6 seat today, besting opponent Liz Coyle.  Preliminary results show that Wan garnered 59% of the vote.

“I am both humbled and honored that my friends and neighbors in District 6 gave me their vote of confidence,” Wan says, “and I look forward to serving as their voice in city government.  It is especially heartening that such a diverse cross-section of people and organizations came together to give our campaign the kind of strength we needed to win.”

This is Wan’s second win in the District 6 race.  He took 32 percent of the vote in the November 3 general election in a field of six candidates; Coyle took second in that contest, pulling 23 percent of the vote.

Wan, who will be the first Asian American and first openly gay man to serve on Atlanta City Council, came into the runoff with a broad base of support.  He was endorsed by former District 6 (general election) opponents Steve Brodie, Tad Christian and Miguel Gallegos.  In addition, Wan has been endorsed by:
•    Atlanta Realtors Political Action Committee, which represents the Atlanta Board of Realtors and the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors;
•    Atlanta Stonewall Democrats;
•    The Buckhead Coalition;
•    Georgia Equality;
•    Georgia Log Cabin Republicans;
•    International Brotherhood of Police Officers (IBPO), Local 623, which represents over 1,100 Atlanta Police Officers; and
•    The Victory Fund.

Too, he is the only candidate in District 6 to receive the highest rating of “Excellent” from the Committee for a Better Atlanta.

Wan’s platform emphasizes his plans to relieve the property tax burden on homeowners, make City government more efficient, ensure tax dollars are spent wisely and effectively, and redouble efforts on public safety.  He ran on his record as a respected business and community leader, emphasizing his experience as a successful business owner, his wide breadth of long-time community service and his deep roots in Atlanta.

He is director of development for Jerusalem House, Atlanta’s oldest and largest provider of permanent, supportive housing for homeless or low-income individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS.  Wan plans to continue in that role, as Atlanta City Council seats are part-time positions.

City Council District 6 encompasses much of intown Atlanta, including the Morningside/Lenox Park, Virginia-Highland, Midtown, Ansley Park, Piedmont Heights, Druid Hills, Candler Park and Lindridge-Martin Manor neighborhoods.

Media contact:
B. Andrew (Drew) Plant
AtlantaWriter@mindspring.com
404-634-7102
Cell:  678-637-5532

Great news for Asian-American and business communities!

Congratulations!!!

Very nice site!