# Elisa Chan

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{{Short description|Taiwanese-American politician and businesswoman}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| native_name         = {{nobold|戰琬瑜}}
| native_name_lang    = zh
| birth_date          = {{Birth year and age|1966}}
| birth_place         = [Taipei](/source/Taipei), Taiwan
| office              = Member of the [San Antonio City Council](/source/San_Antonio_City_Council)
| term                = 2009–2013
| citizenship         = United States
| education           = [Beijing University of Technology](/source/Beijing_University_of_Technology) ([BS](/source/Bachelor_of_Science))<br />[University of Texas at Austin](/source/University_of_Texas_at_Austin) ([MS](/source/Master_of_Science))
| image               = Elisa Chan.jpg
| caption             = Chan at a city council meeting in 2013
}}

'''Elisa Chan''' ({{lang-zh|c=戰琬瑜|p=Zhàn Wǎnyú}}) is a [Taiwan](/source/Taiwan)ese-American politician and businesswoman who has served as a member for District 9 of the [San Antonio City Council](/source/San_Antonio_City_Council) in [San Antonio, Texas](/source/San_Antonio%2C_Texas). She was a candidate in the 2022 Republican primary for the [Texas House of Representatives](/source/Texas_House_of_Representatives).

==Early life and education==
Chan was born in [Taipei](/source/Taipei), Taiwan, in 1966 to Chinese parents.<ref name="Karam 2003">{{cite news |last1=Karam |first1=Heather Ray |date=2003-12-05 |title=San Antonio's Rising Stars: Wan-Yu Elisa Chan |volume=17 |page=B14 |work=[San Antonio Business Journal](/source/American_City_Business_Journals) |issue=46 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/226009272 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-02-14 |id={{ProQuest|226009272}} }}</ref> She was raised in Taiwan and Brazil before she and her family moved to China in 1980.<ref name="Karam 2003"/> She emigrated to the [United States](/source/United_States) in 1988 to attend the [University of Texas at San Antonio](/source/University_of_Texas_at_San_Antonio), and then in 1992 with Clifford Hew co-founded Unintech Consulting Engineers (UNINTECH), a structural and civil engineering design and consulting firm.<ref name="Karam 2003"/><ref name="Garcia 2022">{{cite news |last1=Garcia |first1=Gilbert |title=Garcia: Tone-deaf comments about LGBTQ people drove her into political exile – now Elisa Chan is back |url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/news_columnists/gilbert_garcia/article/Elisa-Chan-return-from-political-exile-16978900.php |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[San Antonio Express-News](/source/San_Antonio_Express-News) |date=March 5, 2022}}</ref> She and Hew married in 1994.<ref name="Karam 2003"/> She became a citizen of the United States in 1999.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

Chan attended the [Beijing University of Technology](/source/Beijing_University_of_Technology), where she received her [B.S.](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) in computer software engineering in 1987, and later received her [master's degree](/source/master's_degree) in [computer science](/source/computer_science) at the [University of Texas at San Antonio](/source/University_of_Texas_at_San_Antonio) in 1993.<ref name="Karam 2003"/> After completing her master's degree, she was a product manager for Emis Software Inc., and she began work for the Research Imaging Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center in 1995.<ref name="Karam 2003"/> In 1998, she joined UNINTECH and oversaw the expansion of the company.<ref name="Karam 2003"/>

==Political career==
In 2009, Chan was elected to the San Antonio City Council,<ref name="Garcia 2022"/> becoming the first woman and first member of a minority group to represent the district.<ref name="Aaronson 2014">{{cite news |last1=Aaronson |first1=Becca |title=Challengers Say a Tea Party Favorite Shortchanged Constituents |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/14/us/politics/challengers-say-a-tea-party-favorite-shortchanged-constituents.html |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[New York Times](/source/New_York_Times) |date=February 13, 2014}}</ref> She easily won reelection several times.<ref name="Moravec 2013"/><ref name="Loyd 2013">{{cite news |last1=Loyd |first1=Ryan |title=What Will Chan's Absence Mean For City Council? Not A Whole Lot |url=https://www.tpr.org/government-public-policy/2013-10-04/what-will-chans-absence-mean-for-city-council-not-a-whole-lot |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[Texas Public Radio](/source/Texas_Public_Radio) |date=October 4, 2013}}</ref>

In August 2013, the ''[San Antonio Express-News](/source/San_Antonio_Express-News)'' published a report based on a secretly-recorded May 21 conversation between Chan and a colleague about a proposed anti-discrimination ordinance designed to protect [lesbian](/source/lesbianism), [gay](/source/homosexuality), [bisexual](/source/bisexuality) and [transgender](/source/transgender) residents from discrimination in which she made a variety of comments, including a reference to the LGBTQ community as "disgusting";<ref name="Chasnoff 2013">{{cite news |last1=Chasnoff |first1=Brian |title=Elisa Chan reveals homophobic views in secret recording |url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/news_columnists/brian_chasnoff/article/Elisa-Chan-reveals-homophobic-views-in-secret-4736543.php |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[San Antonio Express-News](/source/San_Antonio_Express-News) |date=August 16, 2013}}</ref> this occurred several months prior to the city council debating the proposed human rights ordinance.<ref name="Baugh Mar 3 2016"/> Political officials criticized her comments after the report was published and the [Human Rights Campaign](/source/Human_Rights_Campaign) and others called for her to resign,<ref name="Baugh 2013">{{cite news |last1=Baugh |first1=Josh |title=Elisa Chan's taped remarks spark a wide reaction |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Elisa-Chan-s-taped-remarks-spark-a-wide-reaction-4738870.php |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[MySA](/source/San_Antonio_Express-News) |date=August 18, 2013}}</ref> and her comments received national attention from the media.<ref name="Aaronson 2014"/><ref name="Moravec 2013"/> After defending her comments on the basis of [freedom of speech](/source/freedom_of_speech),<ref name="Baugh Aug 20 2013">{{cite news |last1=Baugh |first1=Josh |title=Elisa Chan says anti-gay remarks are free speech |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/politics/article/Elisa-Chan-says-anti-gay-remarks-are-free-speech-4745674.php |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[MySA](/source/San_Antonio_Express-News) |date=August 20, 2013}}</ref> she voted against the ordinance in September, and the ordinance passed 8–3.<ref name="Baugh Mar 3 2016">{{cite news |last1=Baugh |first1=Josh |title=S.A. council passes nonbias ordinance |url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/S-A-council-passes-nonbias-ordinance-4788697.php |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[MySA](/source/San_Antonio_Express-News) |date=September 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211356/http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/S-A-council-passes-nonbias-ordinance-4788697.php |archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Weber 2013">{{cite news |last1=Weber |first1=Paul J. |title=Gay Rights: San Antonio adopts disputed measure |work=[Sunday Gazette-Mail](/source/Sunday_Gazette-Mail) |agency=[Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press) |date=September 8, 2013|id={{ProQuest| }} }}</ref>

In October 2013, Chan announced her resignation from the city council effective October 18 after stating in September that she would run against the incumbent [Tea Party](/source/Tea_Party_movement) [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) [Donna Campbell](/source/Donna_Campbell) in [Texas Senate](/source/Texas_Senate) District 25.<ref name="Moravec 2013">{{cite news |last1=Moravec |first1=Eva Ruth |title=Elisa Chan resigns from council effective Oct. 18 |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Elisa-Chan-resigns-from-council-effective-Oct-18-4876947.php |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[MySA](/source/San_Antonio_Express-News) |date=October 8, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Aaronson 2014" /> She lost the primary election to Campbell by 31 points.<ref name="Garcia 2021">{{cite news |last1=Garcia |first1=Gilbert |title=Garcia: Former Councilwoman Elisa Chan eyes Larson's Texas House seat |url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/news_columnists/gilbert_garcia/article/Garcia-Former-Councilwoman-Elisa-Chan-eyes-16450805.php |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[San Antonio Express-News](/source/San_Antonio_Express-News) |date=September 11, 2021}}</ref>

In 2022, Chan competed in the Republican primary for the vacant seat in [Texas House District 122](/source/Texas's_122nd_House_of_Representatives_district) following the retirement of State Representative [Lyle Larson](/source/Lyle_Larson).<ref name="Garrett 2022">{{cite news |last1=Garrett |first1=Robert T. |title=Just a few GOP voters in a few races will set Texas Legislature's path on taxes, spending, vouchers |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2022/02/11/a-few-gop-voters-a-few-races-texas-legislatures-path-on-taxes-spending-vouchers-about-to-be-set/ |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[The Dallas Morning News](/source/The_Dallas_Morning_News) |date=February 11, 2022}}</ref> In the March 2022 primary, she received the most votes with 37 percent of the vote. A runoff election on May 24 was required because no candidate reached 50 percent.<ref name="McKinley Mar 2 2022">{{cite news |last1=McKinley |first1=Edward |title=Runoff set between Chan, Dorazio in GOP primary for Texas House district in North San Antonio |url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/legislature/article/Elisa-Chan-takes-early-lead-in-GOP-primary-for-16969769.php |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[San Antonio Express-News](/source/San_Antonio_Express-News) |date=March 2, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election |url=https://www.expressnews.com/projects/2022/san-antonio-texas-runoff-election-voter-guide/ |access-date=20 May 2022 |work=[San Antonio Express-News](/source/San_Antonio_Express-News) |date=May 5, 2022}}</ref> She did not win the runoff election.<ref name="Lynch May 25, 2022">{{cite news |last1=Lynch |first1=David |title=Election 2022: Dorazio defeats Chan, locks down Republican nomination in Texas House District 122 race |url=https://www.kens5.com/article/news/politics/elections/election-primary-runoff-texas-house-22-chan-dorazio-san-antonio/273-9b962baa-db9d-420a-ab6b-8976209502f8 |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=KENS 5 |date=May 25, 2022}}</ref>

== Election results ==
{{Election box begin no change|title=[Texas's 122nd House of Representatives district](/source/Texas's_122nd_House_of_Representatives_district) primary election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=[Mark Dorazio](/source/Mark_Dorazio)|votes=7,930|percentage=55}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=Elisa Chan|votes=6,496|percentage=45}}
{{Election box end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web |title=Biography from San Antonio City Council website |url=http://www.sanantonio.gov/Council/d9/district9bio.aspx |accessdate=2013-11-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418073918/http://www.sanantonio.gov/Council/d9/district9bio.aspx |archivedate=April 18, 2014 |url-status=dead }}  <!-- Note: Since she resigned, I saved an archive copy for future use at http://www.webcitation.org/6KZ2vmxnJ?url=http://www.sanantonio.gov/Council/d9/district9bio.aspx  (JimmB Oct 22, 2013) -->
* [http://www.voteelisachan.com Campaign website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520072215/https://www.voteelisachan.com/ |date=2022-05-20 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Elisa}}
Category:American politicians of Taiwanese descent
Category:American women of Taiwanese descent in politics
Category:Asian-American people in Texas politics
Category:Living people
Category:1966 births
Category:San Antonio City Council members
Category:Taiwanese emigrants to the United States
Category:Women city councillors in Texas
Category:American city council members of Chinese descent
Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States
Category:University of Texas at San Antonio alumni
Category:21st-century American women

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Elisa Chan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisa_Chan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisa_Chan?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.