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With some on council bowing out in 2026, Lexington Vice Mayor Dan Wu is game for round two

Josh James
/
WUKY

Lexington Vice Mayor Dan Wu has officially kicked off his reelection campaign.

Wu hosted a kickoff party on Saturday at Old North Bar.

In 2022, Wu made history — becoming the city's first Asian American vice mayor and helping usher in the most diverse council the city has elected. In his first run, Wu won the most votes in the council-at-large race, putting him in the number two spot. That campaign focused largely on affordable housing, diversity, small business growth, and public safety.

Wu recently told DevelopLex he wants Lexingtonians to know that, while national policy certainly matters, what happens on council and in local leadership can often do more to shape people's lives.

"That's one thing I would love for voters and residents to understand more," he said. "As much attention as we pay to national and state-level policy, what really is going to affect your lives day to day, in your backyard, and in your wallet is local policy."

Wu recently voted against a contract to build a new city hall, pointing to concerns about moving forward with the major project in an unpredictable federal funding environment.

"I don't think we can take anything for granted from the federal level, all the things that we have come to expect over the last years and decades. Those are all up for grabs right now," he told WUKY. "For me, it's not even one specific issue or one specific source of funding that I'm worried about. It's kind of everything."

He's also become a vocal advocate for the city's efforts to partner with a national nonprofit that helps cancel medical debt for low-income residents.