Candidate for
Mayor; City of Hawthorne

Alex Vargas' newlywed parents decided to call Hawthorne "home" in 1971 and shortly decided to begin building their family. In September of 1971, Alex was born and would later be followed by 3 other siblings. His parents managed to raise the family on a single income with Dad working and Mom taking care of the children. Their work ethic not only spoke of hard work but also emphasized education, family values, and social responsibility.

Vargas attended St. Bernard High School in Playa del Rey, California, graduating in 1989. He attended California State University Dominguez Hills and graduated in 1995 with a bachelor of science in Physics. During his undergraduate studies, he obtained a Physics internship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Vargas then continued his studies at California State University Long Beach where he earned a master of science in Physics.

In 1997, while in graduate school, Vargas began working in the aerospace industry on laser and optics programs at Hughes and Raytheon. Most recently he has worked at L3 Communications testing satellite components under Space Environment conditions.

From 2004-2009, Vargas served as commissioner on Hawthorne's Civil Service Commission, where he brought fairness to the review of civil service employee matters. In 2007, he served as founding President for the North Hawthorne Community Association, where he worked with his neighbors to successfully bring peace and security to the neighborhood. Vargas has most recently served on the Centinela Valley HS District Oversight Committee helping the local high schools reach academic success.

Vargas decided to run for a seat on the Hawthorne City Council in November 2009. After a successful grassroots campaign, he won the city council race and received the highest number of votes. In December of 2010, Vargas was nominated by his city council peers to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for the City. He is now running for Mayor of the City of Hawthorne.

Bringing business investments and jobs to the City of Hawthorne has been a top priority for Vargas. He is actively pursuing this by establishing a more cooperative working relationship between the Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce and the City. Vargas has reached out to small business owners providing them with the resources for survival and success. He has organized brainstorming sessions with the community to discuss existing projects and developments.

Alex Vargas' passion and love for the City of Hawthorne has led him to offer fresh new ideas to fight crime and advance the city's economic renewal plans. Through his careful analysis of the issues at hand, and leadership based on integrity, Hawthorne will experience the positive change that it greatly deserves and needs.

Hawthorne's Native Son is ready to serve!