Rod4RSM

Rancho Santa Margarita · District 2

RodGanjifard

Common sense for RSM.

City Council, District 2Tuesday, November 3, 2026

I moved here ten years ago and never left. My wife and I got engaged at the lake and married there. Our five kids go to school here. I run technology for a large Orange County law firm, which means I read budgets and contracts for a living. I would like to do that for this city.

Rod and his wife with their five children under the arched underpass at Lago Santa Margarita, late afternoon light down the tunnel behind them.
Rod Ganjifard, head and shoulders, in a navy suit.

Filing as

Technology Executive / Father

In RSM since 2016. Married at the lake. Five kids in local schools.

“I read the budget.
You should see what’s in it.”

  • CTO, of a large Orange County law firm

  • Pop Warner coach, three seasons with Santa Margarita

  • San Francisco Solano, parish, active member

  • Reform CrossFit RSM, and weekends walking the lake

More about Rod ›

What I will work on

  1. Common-sense spending

    Every line of the budget should answer one question: does this actually help RSM families? Ask the tough questions, cut the red tape, and stop funding things that sound good in a press release.

  2. Youth and family programs

    Fund the spaces families actually use. Youth sports, school partnerships, and real programs for kids instead of buildings that sit empty.

  3. Keep the character of this place

    I chose RSM because it is untouched enough but still a city. Protect the master plan from the pressure to overbuild.

  4. Parks, trails and the lake

    The lake and the trails are the city’s living room. Maintain them like we mean it, before deferred maintenance becomes a bond measure.

  5. A new generation of leadership

    The same few people have held these seats for years. Fresh eyes, tough questions, and answers residents can actually get.

What I will fight for

Start helping the citizens.

  • Bring back the Boys & Girls Club. Twelve years at the Bell Tower, then the contract lapsed and it closed. Kids need somewhere to go after the last bell, and politics has no business in a program families depend on.
  • Weigh monuments against programs. The Antonio Parkway gateway monument was dedicated in June. The low bid was $2.8 million against a $2.1 million engineer’s estimate. The after-school program the city let lapse cost $120,000 a year.
  • Lower insurance premiums. De-risk the fire area around RSM and claim the wildfire discounts state rules already require insurers to offer, up to 20% off.
Lago Santa Margarita from the air, homes and the parkway path along the shore, with the dry chaparral ridgeline rising directly behind the city.
Every dollar the city spends should come back to the people who live here.
Map of Rancho Santa Margarita with City Council District 2 highlighted: the central band running southwest to northeast.

Am I in your district?

District 2

District 2 is the central band of the city, running southwest to northeast: Ave De Las Flores, Alma Aldea, Ave Empresa and Ave De Las Banderas. Only District 2 voters can vote in this race.

Boundaries from the City of Rancho Santa Margarita council district map, Ordinance 23-02. This is a locator, not an official boundary. To confirm your district and registration, check with the City Clerk's office or the Orange County Registrar of Voters at ocvote.gov.