Draft:Alex Balekian

Alex Balekian is a physician and the Republican candidate for Congress in California's 30th Congressional District.

Early Life and Education
Alex Balekian, an Armenian-American, was born and raised in Glendale California to Armenian immigrant parents. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in General Physiology. Balekian later pursued a medical degree at the University of California San Diego (USD), becoming a board-certified physician. Balekian completed his Internal Medicine residency at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, and later completed his Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine fellowship at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In 2009, Balekian earned a Health Services Research masters degree from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

Career
Balekian is a practicing physician with extensive experience in internal medicine. He has also been involved in various healthcare initiatives aimed at improving patient care and accessibility.

Balekian served as Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine - Pulmonary/Critical Care at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California from October 2009 to January 2019.

During his time at USC's Keck School of Medicine, Balekian completed Lung Cancer health disparities research, notably Effect of Language and Ethnicity on Interval From Diagnosis to Treatment in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients at a Public and a Private Hospital.

Political Career
In June 2023, Balekian announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for California's 30th Congressional District. Initially registering as an Independent, Balekian changed his party affiliation to Republican in June 2023. His campaign emphasizes a platform of healthcare reform, economic development, and education improvements. Balekian's slogan "Progressive Isn't Working" highlights his critique of current policies and his call for new approaches.

Democrats Mike Feuer, Laura Friedman and Anthony Portantino were considered the leading candidates to succeed Adam Schiff in a "very blue district." However, Balekian progressed to the November general election with 17.4% of the vote, beating out all but Laura Friedman.

On June 14, 2024 Balekian received the endorsement of Republican Presidential Primary candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy.

Personal Life
Balekian was born and raised, and still resides in Glendale, California.