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Berman vs. Sherman: 2 longtime Democratic leaders face off in the the Valley
Reps. Howard Berman, left, and Brad Sherman, right, will face each other in Tuesday's primary as a result of redistricting.
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Redistricting and a new top-two primary system that ignores party affiliation has pitted two longtime Democratic congressmen against one another in the House of Representative's 30th District in the San Fernando Valley.
Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman have raised more than $9 million to defeat one another as a result of redistricting, which reconfigured a district Berman has represented since 1982.
Berman is the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Relations Committee. He is also the second-highest ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Sherman, elected to Congress in 1997, serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Financial Services.
In February, Berman told KPCC he sees himself as the pragmatic candidate. "I'm focused on trying to get things accomplished in Washington. I'm less interested in self-promotion. If you want something to happen to help the Valley, to help Los Angeles, I'm the guy you want to go to."
Berman is backed by Gov. Jerry Brown, Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the Los Angeles Times and the Daily News.
Sherman, however, has accused his opponent of being out of touch with Valley voters, as parts of Berman's previous district included the Hollywood Hills. The new 30th District includes half of Sherman's current district.
"He is a distinguished, very senior member of Congress and I respect him as an individual," Sherman told KPCC's Frank Stoltze. "It's just on issue after issue his stances don't reflect Valley values."
Sherman's supporters include former President Bill Clinton and the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley.
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Also running for the seat are Democrat Vince Gilmore and Republicans Navraj Singh, Mark Reed and Susan Shelley.
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