Alex Rounaghi’s election brings new voice to Laguna Beach politics
A packed house witnessed the changing of the Laguna Beach City Council at Tuesday’s meeting, one that may well have represented the dawning of a new era.
Three council members participated in the swearing-in ceremony for four-year terms, Alex Rounaghi, a 25-year-old lifelong resident among them.
Mayor Bob Whalen, appointed to the position for a fifth term during the meeting, welcomed Rounaghi to the dais.
“When John Kennedy was inaugurated in 1961, he said in his speech, ‘The torch has been passed to a new generation,’” Whalen said. “So, I just want to tell you that there’s four of us up here that are still around, so the torch hasn’t been passed, but the fuse has been lit. We’re really excited that you are joining us and will bring a different perspective to us.”
Rounaghi, who was elected along with Mark Orgill and now Mayor Pro Tem Sue Kempf, received the most votes among seven candidates running for the City Council.
He had added his name to the race at the deadline to pull papers. His election may result in the addition of new voices to the discussion with respect to city matters.
“I don’t like ageism at all,” Rounaghi said. “I think all of us from different ages have different perspectives, and we can make really good decisions when we’re working together and kind of bringing those different perspectives to the table and coming up with solutions. I do hope that we get more people engaged at all ages in the civic process in Laguna Beach. …
“It’s important that people are engaged and involved. One of the things that I’m excited about is I was appointed by the council to the Leadership Laguna subcommittee, along with Sue Kempf, and so I’m really excited about bringing that program back, hopefully early next year, to get to expose more people of all ages across the city to how city government works.”
Rounaghi, who has promised to prioritize public safety, the environment, affordable housing and data-driven government, said the incorporation of Zoom has made public comment participation more accessible.
A career in public service had often been on the mind of Rounaghi, he said, but the idea gained merit in high school, when he got involved in Model United Nations and served as a page for Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Rounaghi graduated from Dartmouth College in 2020 with bachelor’s degrees in government and history. The coronavirus pandemic saw him return home.
Since doing so, he has become the vice president of the Laguna Beach Democratic Club, the chair of the city’s housing and human services committee, and he has been working as a policy adviser for Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley.
Foley, his proud mentor, congratulated Rounaghi after he was sworn in as the youngest council member ever to serve in Laguna Beach.
“I will tell you that he has a depth of knowledge that is well beyond his years,” Foley said before presenting the three council members elected this cycle with certificates. “You all are really privileged to have his thoughtful consideration, and I’m just really proud of you, Alex. I really am.”
Three generations of Rounaghi’s family live in the small town. He waxed nostalgic with the audience when sharing the story of how his grandmother had decided to reside in the coastal community upon seeing the ocean from Crown Valley Parkway.
“I feel lucky to grow up in a place like Laguna Beach,” Rounaghi said. “There’s no place that rivals it in terms of our natural beauty, whether it’s the ocean, which is our blue belt, or [the] green belt, our open space and hiking trails and all of that. I’m just really honored to be elected to serve this community that I love so much. I feel [it’s] an honor to represent it well and keep what makes Laguna unique in place and also address some of the big challenges that we’re facing.”
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