In this episode of Meet The Candidates, Alex Balekian sat down to speak with Kari Steele about running to represent California's 30th Congressional District in Congress. Alex shares his stance on fiscal conservatism, social moderation and more. Listen to the full interview below and anywhere you are on demand, on the free iHeartRadio app.
Alex Balekian, an intensive care physician, managed to surpass expectations in the crowded primary election for California’s 30th Congressional district. Competing against well-known, well-funded candidates—including a California Assembly member, a State Senator, the Los Angeles City Attorney, and an LAUSD board member—Balekian raised a modest sum but still secured second place on election night in March 2024. He finished nearly 5 points ahead of State Senator Anthony Portantino and former LA City Attorney Mike Feuer, qualifying for the November general election against Assembly member Laura Friedman.
Balekian, a Glendale-born and raised physician, is redefining the GOP in Los Angeles County. He embodies characteristics not typically associated with contemporary Republican candidates: Middle Eastern, the son of immigrants, pro-choice, and never having run for public office before. He is also married to a man. This unique profile likely contributed to his success in a district where a Dem-on-Dem general election seemed inevitable. His and his Republican challenger's nearly 22% of the open primary vote in a district with only 15% registered Republicans defies the common explanation of vote-splitting among Democratic candidates.
Balekian identifies as a proud Deukmejian Republican and has felt disenfranchised within the party for the last 20 years (he began the race as a no party preference candidate before redesignating his campaign as Republican two months later). His campaign platform focuses on keeping the streets clean and safe, reducing taxes, and limiting government intrusion into personal lives. These priorities resonate with voters seeking law and order, fiscal responsibility, and personal freedom.
Despite avoiding identity politics, Balekian's non-traditional background appeals to diverse voter groups. California’s 30th Congressional district includes bedroom communities like Glendale, Burbank, Sunland/Tujunga, and parts of Pasadena, as well as urban areas like Hollywood, West Hollywood, and Silverlake. The district's voter blocs include Armenians, Latinos, and Koreans in the northeastern parts, gay and lesbian communities in West Hollywood, and Orthodox Jewish and Russian-Jewish communities in the Fairfax and Hancock Park neighborhoods.
Balekian frames his campaign as a contest between Progressives and non-Progressives, rather than Democrats versus Republicans. He states, “Progressive policies aren’t working. My fiscally responsible, socially sane platform, prioritizing ideas over identity politics, will attract disenfranchised voters—moderate Democrats, Independents, and moderate Republicans—tired of extreme polarization in the two-party system.