Of the many surprises in last week's Orange County political races, none seemed as unlikely as the fourth-place finish of Irvine council member Larry Agran. First elected to office in 1978, Agran has alternately served as mayor or councilmember for 28 of the 36 years since, playing a huge role in the growth of Irvine as America's ultimate master-planned suburb. But the last decade has seen his political demise on the altar of what's also his greatest project: The Great Park, a massive public project that was supposed to rival America's other great municipal parks but instead has been a lighting rod for allegations of cronyism, corruption, and government waste. Agran vows to not leave the political scene — but what will follow?
KCRW
