Peachtree

City resident Lewis Jordan plans to announce

today his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in

November to replace one of his close friends,

Sen. Paul Coverdell, who died unexpectedly last

month, Jordan told The Citizen Tuesday. Jordan is

the former head of ValuJet, now known as AirTran

Airlines.

"I

told the convention [Tuesday] morning that I plan

to return to Georgia [Wednesday] and qualify for

the seat and announce my candidacy," Jordan

said Tuesday from Philadelphia where he was

attending the Republican National Convention.

"As carefully as my family and I have

studied this, it's hard to say anything will

change between now and then."

Jordan

said national and state Republican leaders began

to contact him last Wednesday to convince him to

run for the seat. If he secures the Republican

nomination, Jordan would face former Gov. Zell

Miller, who was appointed by current Gov. Roy

Barnes to replace Coverdell until the November

election.

Jordan

contends that Miller won't vote like Coverdell

would have on several key issues, and that

persuaded him to seriously consider running for

the seat.

"There

were also some indications that some of our

current congressmen would run for the seat: Bob

Barr and Jack Kingston," Jordan said, adding

that he did not want to oppose either lawmaker.

"But they both contacted me and informed me

they would not run for the seat. At that point, I

said I would seriously consider it."

Jordan

said the death of Coverdell, also a Republican,

hit him hard. He recalled a prediction from Sen.

Coverdell during a fund-raiser that took place in

Jordan's home approximately two years ago.

"That's

when I first heard him say that George W. Bush

will be the next President of the United

States," Jordan recalled.

Jordan,

56, is the founder of ValuJet Airlines, which is

now known as AirTran. He still sits on the

company's board of directors as the largest

shareholder.

Currently,

Jordan operates Wingspread Enterprises, an

investment and consulting firm that helps fund

start-up companies.

Jordan

and his wife, Peggy, have six grown children. The

couple lives at their home in the Interlochen

subdivision, where they moved in 1993 when

ValuJet started up in Atlanta.

<!--

-----------