Garry Guan

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
BP-Initials-UPDATED.png
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Garry Guan
Image of Garry Guan
Elections and appointments
Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Peking University, 1982

Graduate

Central Institute of Nationalities, 1985

Personal
Religion
Methodist
Profession
Interpreter/Translator
Contact

float:right;
border:1px solid #FFB81F;
background-color: white;
width: 250px;
font-size: .9em;
margin-bottom:0px;

} .infobox p { margin-bottom: 0; } .widget-row { display: inline-block; width: 100%; margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 1px; } .widget-row.heading { font-size: 1.2em; } .widget-row.value-only { text-align: center; background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.value-only.white { background-color: #f9f9f9; } .widget-row.value-only.black { background-color: #f9f9f9; color: black; } .widget-row.Democratic { background-color: #003388; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Republican { background-color: red; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Libertarian { background-color: #f9d334; color: black; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Green { background-color: green; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-key { width: 43%; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; } .widget-value { width: 57%; float: right; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; word-wrap: break-word; } .widget-img { width: 150px; display: block; margin: auto; } .clearfix { clear: both; }

Garry Guan (Republican Party) ran for election to the Georgia State Senate to represent District 40. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Guan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Garry Guan was born in Harbin, China. He received a bachelor's degree from Peking University in 1982, a master's degree from Central Institute of Nationalities, Beijing, in 1985, and attended the University of Pittsburgh in 1992. Guan's professional experience includes working as a translator/interpreter, a research associate in history of art and architecture at the University of Pittsburgh, and the managing editor of Chinese Cultural Relics. He has been affiliated with the Rotary Club of North Atlanta, the Asian American Resource Center, Inc., and Friends of Refugees.[1]

Elections

2020

See also: Georgia State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Georgia State Senate District 40

Incumbent Sally Harrell defeated Garry Guan in the general election for Georgia State Senate District 40 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sally Harrell
Sally Harrell (D)
 
60.5
 
54,359
Image of Garry Guan
Garry Guan (R) Candidate Connection
 
39.5
 
35,494

Total votes: 89,853
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Georgia State Senate District 40

Incumbent Sally Harrell advanced from the Democratic primary for Georgia State Senate District 40 on June 9, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sally Harrell
Sally Harrell
 
100.0
 
23,354

Total votes: 23,354
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 40

Garry Guan advanced from the Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 40 on June 9, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Garry Guan
Garry Guan Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
11,071

Total votes: 11,071
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2012

See also: Georgia State Senate elections, 2012

Guan ran in the 2012 election for Georgia State Senate District 5. Guan ran unopposed in the Republican primary on July 31, 2012, but withdrew before the primary.[2] He would have faced incumbent Curt Thompson (D) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[3][4]

2010

See also: Georgia State Senate elections, 2010

Guan was unopposed in the July 20 primary.[5]

Georgia State Senate, District 5 - Republican Primary (2010)
Candidates Votes Percent
Green check mark transparent.png Garry Guan 2,230 100.0%


Guan's lost to incumbent Curt Thompson (D) in the November 2 general election.[6]

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Garry Guan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Guan's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Garry Guan is a professional interpreter/translator, small business owner, entrepreneur, and active Rotarian. And, above all, a dedicated father and husband. Coming from Communist China in 1987, he immediately embraced American culture and heritage as he pursued his Ph.D. degree in Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Moving to Georgia in 1992, he has been a passionate volunteer and leader with a number of non-profits and professional organizations for 28 years. These include Asian American Resource Center, Partnership for Community Action, National Families in Action, Atlanta Association of Interpreters Translators, and many others. A member of Norcross First United Methodist Church, he has participated in a mission trip to Nicaragua and as President of Rotary Club of North Atlanta went on a humanitarian trip to Iquitos, Peru. Garry is a graduate of the Atlanta Regional Leadership Institute in 2006. He was inducted into Who's Who in Asian American Communities in 2007.

Promoting understanding and unity has been the hallmark of Garry's life. Garry shares the interests and concerns of the diverse constituents in Senate District 40 regarding education, development, transportation, and tax reform.

  • Bring a fresh view, a new perspective, and a new voice to the state legislature to the table with a better understanding of our diverse citizens of the state.
  • Bring civility to politics in the state legislature by willing to listen and giving consideration of the views and opinions across the aisle and building bi-partisan consciences and collaborations to serve the citizens of this great state.
  • Providing easier access to our government for our diverse citizens. I will always be accessible with my mobile numbers and direct emails published to the public. With the pro bono convenience of my language service business, even non-English speaking citizens would no longer facing barriers of communications to their government.

Working hard on the budget to help our state's economic recovery from the pandemic and not leaving our citizens out in helping them in the economic hardships, and yet maintaining the fascicle responsive approach and balance the budget at the same time.
As an Asian American parent of two public school children, education is always high on my priorities. I want to make sure to better teachers' pay to keep the talents in our state and for our future generations. I will advocate the parent and local controls for education, not the state, or federal government to decide how we educate our kids.
Health care is also one of the top concerns of our citizens. This is particularly the case for our seniors, mental health, and low-income and uninsured populations. I will advocate tort reform to reduce the skyrocket medical liability cost that passed on to patients and consumers. I will also fight the pharmaceutical companies' heavy influence on our government policies in emphasizing and promoting medications that "managing" diseases rather than cure them! I will advocate the medical billing transparency and allow the patients/consumers the informed options.
I will advocate criminal justice reform and reduce the rate of incarceration especially re-incarcerations, and advocate the second chance for people who had served the time to reintegrate into society and becoming productive citizens. I will work closely with our Governor and Attorney General in cracking down human trafficking.

Martin Luther King, Jr., I want to heal the divide of our country with love and comparison, and be an agent of change with non-violence means.

I'm running for Georgia State Senate because I feel strongly that our legislature must be made more transparent. Average citizens must have the access now enjoyed by special interests. It is time for us to take a new approach. No other candidate has a greater perspective on the concerns of our diverse communities than this immigrant from China. As a patriotic American by choice, I will work tirelessly to unify all communities and be your voice at the state capitol. I promise to be your fearless warrior and conscientious servant. I ask your help to send me to the Georgia Senate to work for the future of our great state.

Bring a fresh view, a new perspective, and a new voice to the state legislature to the table with a better understanding of our diverse citizens of the state.
Bring civility to politics in the state legislature by willing to listen and giving consideration of the views and opinions across the aisle and building bi-partisan consciences and collaborations to serve the citizens of this great state.
Providing easier access to our government for our diverse citizens. I will always be accessible with my mobile numbers and direct emails published to the public. With the pro bono convenience of my language service business, even non-English speaking citizens would no longer face barriers of communications to their government.

Accessible to the constituents and listen to their concerns and issues. Put servicing the constituents and citizens of the district and state first, not his/her personal political agenda.

I am a historian and do not believe any elected public office holders should ever even consider their own legacy before or during their service in the office. It should be the job of historians to look back years later to assess that, and may not be even within their own lifetime.
As a matter of fact, I strongly believe that anyone who is so caught up in his/her own legacy would be a sign that he or she is not fit to hold that office!!
An elected official must think for the best interests of the people, the state and the country, and at times, must make decisions that may not be popular at the time, and can only be seen in hindsight for most people. A good leader must put him/her own popularity aside to make tough decisions that would benefit the people in the long run.
Therefore, will do the best to represent my constituents and serve the people of this great state, but would not give any consideration of my "legacy". It is for the future generations of historians to judge long after I leave office or even this world!

Consulting Archeologist:
1992: Senior Archeologist, Garrow & Associates, Inc. Norcross, Georgia.

1993-1995: Archeologist, New South Associates, Inc. Stone Mountain, Georgia;
Serving as Principal Investigator and Managing Cultural Resource Management and Archeological projects across the southeast U.S. region.

1995-Present: Professional Translator/Interpreter & Owner of a small translation company, A-A Language Services, LLC.;

2016-Present: Research Associate of History of Art and Architecture, Department of History of Art and Architecture, University of Pittsburgh;

2014-2019: Managing Editor, Chinese Cultural Relics, Official English Translation of Wenwu (Cultural Relics).

Reagan Diaries, pages of inspiration, and profound thoughts.

A Taiwanese song, "You can only win when you give your best"

A boring period of life without struggle!

The division of different focus between the two chambers, for example, confirmation of political appointees by the senate only.

Not necessarily so. Citizen legislature just needs to be accessible to the constituents and listen to their concerns and advice.

Successful recovery from COVID-19 to get our economy back on track as well as maintaining a balanced budget.

Yes, very important. Passing any bill will require other legislatures participation, and at times, even lawmakers across the aisle.

Using artificial intelligent data plotting methods with considerations of total population with a preference if avoid or minimize breaking up local jurisdictions and communities. Absolutely avoid gerrymandering.

Economic Development and Tourism, Education and Youth, higher education, interstate cooperation, Science and Technology, Natural Resources and Environment, and regulated industries and utilities.

In the midst of COVID-19 Pandemic, Asian Ameican communities across the district and metro Atlanta actively acted kindness to contribute in the fight of the pandemic by provided much-needed PPEs throughout metro Atlanta, and even the state by donations, and "Vietnamese Mask Angels" hand sewed masks for hospital staffs and Korean American community "Lunch for Frontline Workers" as well as Chinese Americans life-saving PPE donations all the way down to Albany, Georgia when the local hospital was overwhelmed by the surge and the pandemic.
As a small group of African Americans armed protested Chinese merchant in front of Atlanta Chinatown on May 19, 2020, it was the African American Police Chief of the City of Chamblee that provided adequate police protections to ensure the event being peaceful without incident. Even in the backdrop of the nationwide Black Live Matters movement swept the country due to the unjust murder of George Floyd by police brutality, the Chinese American community showed their gratitude and appreciation to Chamblee Police by donating 2000 facemasks to the police force.
Asian Americans are also victims of racial discrimination and hate crimes, especially during this current pandemic. They are standing in solidarity with African American communities, as well as other minorities in this fight of injustice and racial discrimination. In the meantime, they do also show their support to the good law enforcement officers and their appreciations.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.



2010

On his campaign website, Guan lists five issues he is concerned about.[7] They are:

  • Jobs/Economy
Excerpt: "The best role for government is to foster a favorable business environment. That is why Garry is staunchly in favor of lowering tax burdens and lessening bureaucratic red tape."
  • Education
Excerpt: "Garry favors a new formula, to be worked out with teachers' involvement, that will focus on the individual teacher's education and commitment. Moreover, Garry vows to work to overhaul the current furlough system."
  • Fiscal Responsibility/Smaller Government
Excerpt: "Garry is working to identify exactly which government programs and departments fit in with government's core mission, and which have become an unnecessary burden to taxpayers."
  • Property Rights
Excerpt: "Home ownership was a vital component of The American Dream. The mortgage criswas and decline in property values have hit home owners hard. They should not be hit yet again by higher property taxes as governments try to make up for education short falls."
  • Engage and Empower
Excerpt: "Garry wants your feedback on ways to make Georgia politics both transparent and all-inclusive. Together, we will improve voter turnout and citizen participation."

See also


External links

Footnotes


Current members of the Georgia State Senate
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
Max Burns (R)
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
District 48
District 49
District 50
District 51
District 52
District 53
District 54
District 55
District 56
Republican Party (33)
Democratic Party (23)