Alex Saab to run for City Council

DOWNEY - Local attorney Alex Saab has announced his candidacy for City Council, where he is expected to challenge incumbent Luis Marquez for the council's city-wide District 5 seat. A lifelong Downey resident, Saab, 36, is president of Downey Los Amigos Kiwanis and is active with other Downey organizations, including the Downey Museum of Art.

His wife, Giggy Perez-Saab, is president of Soroptimist International of Downey.

Saab ran for City Council two years ago but was narrowly defeated by Fernando Vasquez.

In a statement announcing his candidacy, Saab said his campaign will focus on four platforms: jobs, public safety, fiscal responsibility and an accessible City Hall.

He said he would work to "ensure that the public safety of our residents is always our foremost concern and that our city always maintains our own police and fire departments."

"Our essential public services should not be compromised even during challenging economic times," Saab said, adding that he is "committed to cutting the fat out of government and to disbursing city expenditures responsibly and appropriately."

If elected, Saab said he would host regular town hall meetings and hold regular office hours at City Hall. He also pledged to hold community meetings at local businesses throughout his campaign to gather input from residents.

Saab cited a need to "constantly increase the voice of all Downey residents and to open the channels of communication from City Hall to all residents." Saab is president-elect of the Downey Chamber of Commerce and vice president of the Southeast District Bar Association.

An alumnus of local schools, he graduated from UC Irvine and received a Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law School.

Upon graduation he opened his law firm on Paramount Boulevard in Downey. Saab has received several accolades and awards - including from Congress and L.A. County - for his volunteerism and community service.

Councilman Luis Marquez, who lost in his bid for state Assembly last month, has not announced if he will seek re-election to City Council. On Wednesday, he told this newspaper he was still discussing the issue with his family.

Marquez has the option of seeking reelection in the citywide District 5 seat or he can try to replace termed out Councilman David Gafin in District 1 (south Downey).

Planning commissioner Michael Murray previously announced he would run for District 1, while former baseball player Gabriel Orozco is campaigning for District 5.

********** Published: July 12, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 13