Brad Sherman

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California) has decided to endorse Rep. Howard Berman (D-Valley Village) in his bruising intraparty fight with Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) for a newly drawn San Fernando Valley congressional district seat. In a letter  to Berman dated Monday, Boxer said she was abandoning her position of neutrality because of a mailer the Sherman campaign sent out which Boxer said "outrageously tries to connect you to the San Bruno tragedy. " The Sherman campaign sent the mailer to call attention to an independent expenditure by a PG&E, which has contributed $10,000 to support Berman.  PG&E is operating as a "super PAC" -- a corporate campaign organization that can spend unlimited amounts for or against candidates so long as they do not coordinate with the candidate they are supporting.  At least one other super PAC has contributed to elect Berman.

Rep. Brad Sherman had a 13-point lead over fellow Democratic Rep. Howard Berman, according to a poll taken for KABC Channel 7. Conducted by SurveyUSA, the poll is the first independent sampling of voters released since the June primary, in which Sherman finished 10 percentage points ahead of Berman for the San Fernando Valley congressional district seat. According to the poll, Sherman led Berman 45%-32% among likely voters. But 23% of respondents said they had not yet made up their minds.

Rep. Howard Berman conceded to fellow Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman after a bitter fight with his younger House colleague over a San Fernando Valley seat. The race grew so contentious that at one point the two got physical at a Pierce College candidates forum. Berman stepped close to Sherman as the congressmen argued hotly, and Sherman thrust his arm around Berman, shouting, “You want to get into this?” In his concession statement, Berman said, "I congratulate Brad .... I will do whatever I can to ensure a cooperative and orderly transition.

After decades of cruising effortlessly to reelection, dignified, statesmanlike and unruffled, Rep. Howard Berman has come out swinging against fellow San Fernando Valley Democrat and congressional colleague Brad Sherman in the fight over which man gets to stay in Congress. First came a website knocking Sherman's record: Just three bills passed in 15 years, two of them to rename post offices, it declared. Then Berman rounded up a seasoned Washington hand to pile on, telling reporters last week that Sherman had indulged in "fantasies" about his role in reforming the nation's troubled financial institutions (nonsense, said Sherman's campaign; his role was well documented)

The weekend brought good news and bad for Rep. Howard Berman, who is gripped in a tough race against fellow Democratic Rep. Brad Shermanfor a San Fernando Valley congressional seat. The latest campaign finance reports showed Berman has outpaced Sherman in fundraising since the 2012 election cycle began. Berman added some $500,000 to his coffers during the latest reporting period, bringing the total raised to almost $3.5 million. Sherman has reported collecting more than $2.7 million altogether.

Is anybody surprised? The Howard Berman campaign has a new TV ad featuring  last week's heated confrontation with rival  Brad Sherman, capturing the moment at which Sherman pulled his smaller, older opponent close and shouted, "You want to get into this?" The two Democratic congressmen, battling for a San Fernando Valley congressional district seat, had been arguing at a Pierce College candidates forum during an increasingly bitter campaign. The Berman ad, riffing on the campaign's previous allegations that Sherman is "ineffective, mean and too angry," shows the congressman's  face convulsed with anger while a man's voice announces, "Brad Sherman is just not fit to represent us. " Continue reading > > -- Jean Merl, Los Angeles Times

Reps. Brad Sherman and Howard Berman handily outdistanced their five little-known, underfinanced challengers in Tuesday's primary, ensuring that the high-spending, nationally watched showdown between two liberal Democratic congressmen will continue through the November general election. With more than half the precincts reporting, Sherman, of Sherman Oaks, and Berman, of Valley Village, finished first and second, respectively, giving them both a place on the fall ballot under the state's new "top two" primary system as they battle to represent the San Fernando Valley's 30th Congressional District.

Hooray for Brad Sherman! At last, someone in government is waking up to the fact that big gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles are not doing the environment -- or any of us -- any good (Dec. 27 Leader). It does indeed seem ridiculous that buyers of the H1 Hummer (9 mpg, city) can receive $100,000 in tax deductions while buyers of gasoline-efficient hybrids (50 mpg city) get a measly $2,000 deduction. Mr. Sherman's new legislation should help tilt the scales toward reason again.

UNITED STATES Congressman Adam B. Schiff (D-29th District) www.house.gov/schiff 35 S. Raymond Ave., Suite 205 Pasadena, CA 91105 (626) 304-2727 Congressman Brad Sherman (D-27th District) www.house.gov/sherman 5000 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 420 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 (818) 501-9200 Senator Dianne Feinstein feinstein.senate.gov 11111 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 915 Los Angeles, CA 90025 (310)

Karen S. Kim AIRPORT DISTRICT -- Local elected officials have commended a decision to modify federal legislation that could have prevented Burbank officials from taking any action to limit growth at Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport. U.S. Reps. Howard Berman (D-Mission Hills), Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), Brad Sherman (D-Woodland Hills) and Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) announced their support for a decision to exempt Burbank airport from the bill, HR 2107.

To no surprise of San Fernando Valley voters who were inundated with campaign ads, robo calls and political mail, Reps. Brad Sherman and Howard Berman set a record for spending by candidates in a California congressional race - shelling out more than $11.7 million between them, according to new campaign finance reports. When spending by outside groups is added, the total outlay in the bitter contest won by Sherman was $16.3 million, making it one of the most expensive congressional races in the country, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in politics.

Good morning, readers. Today is Thursday, November 8. Rep. Brad Sherman may have won a hard-fought seat in the Valley, but his rival, Rep. Howard Berman, may end up in the White House. Berman is among those mentioned to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton , reports the L.A. Times .  Remember when people tried to make the Valley its own city? The Daily News   looks back 10 years ago when the measure failed to receive enough votes to pass . Will the Valley eventually split away from L.A.?

Rep. Howard Berman conceded to fellow Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman after a bitter fight with his younger House colleague over a San Fernando Valley seat. The race grew so contentious that at one point the two got physical at a Pierce College candidates forum. Berman stepped close to Sherman as the congressmen argued hotly, and Sherman thrust his arm around Berman, shouting, “You want to get into this?” In his concession statement, Berman said, "I congratulate Brad .... I will do whatever I can to ensure a cooperative and orderly transition.

Good morning, readers. Today is Wednesday, October 31. Happy Halloween! Throwing a party in the Northeast Valley? The police department may be monitoring them more closely after City Councilman Richard Alarcon won support for a "party patrol," reports Contra Costa Times . A 19-year-old North Hollywood man pleaded guilty Monday to pointing a laser at a Pasadena police helicopter last March , reports the Daily News...

The fierce battle between Democratic Reps.  Howard Berman  and  Brad Sherman  for a San Fernando Valley congressional seat has surpassed the $13-million mark for spending, making it among the costliest House races in the country, according to new campaign finance reports. The candidates have spent a combined $10.3 million through Oct. 17. Outside groups have poured an additional $3 million into the race between colleagues turned bitter rivals. Federal election data also show New York City Mayor  Michael R. Bloomberg 's newly established "super PAC" spent more than $195,000 in an Inland Empire race this week to support California state Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod of Chino over a fellow Democrat, Rep.  Joe Baca  of Rialto.

Is anybody surprised? The Howard Berman campaign has a new TV ad featuring  last week's heated confrontation with rival  Brad Sherman, capturing the moment at which Sherman pulled his smaller, older opponent close and shouted, "You want to get into this?" The two Democratic congressmen, battling for a San Fernando Valley congressional district seat, had been arguing at a Pierce College candidates forum during an increasingly bitter campaign. The Berman ad, riffing on the campaign's previous allegations that Sherman is "ineffective, mean and too angry," shows the congressman's  face convulsed with anger while a man's voice announces, "Brad Sherman is just not fit to represent us. " Continue reading > > -- Jean Merl, Los Angeles Times

Ka-ching! That's become a familiar sound in the San Fernando Valley slugfest between Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman. Together, the two Democrats have spent more than $9 million through Sept. 30, according to the latest campaign finance reports.  Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Jim Rogan set a record for a California House race by spending $11.5 million in their 2000 Glendale-area contest won by Schiff. Heading into the crucial final weeks before the Nov. 6 election, Sherman had more cash on hand  than Berman -- $1.8 million to about $394,000, according to the reports.

In what has been dubbed by a journalism organization as one of the "10 nastiest House races" of the election season, rival Democratic Reps. Brad Sherman and Howard Bermanfaced off at yet another candidates forum Wednesday. While some of the more personal attacks they have lobbed at each other, regarding Berman's use of a government car and Sherman's earnings on loans he made to his campaign, were absent from Wednesday's 90-minute forum, the congressmen each managed to land some zingers.

Rep. Brad Sherman had a 13-point lead over fellow Democratic Rep. Howard Berman, according to a poll taken for KABC Channel 7. Conducted by SurveyUSA, the poll is the first independent sampling of voters released since the June primary, in which Sherman finished 10 percentage points ahead of Berman for the San Fernando Valley congressional district seat. According to the poll, Sherman led Berman 45%-32% among likely voters. But 23% of respondents said they had not yet made up their minds.

If the spectacle of two career Democratsgoing at it over bragging rights to Republican support seems odd to you, blame it on California's new elections system, which sent some candidates from the same party to  duke it out in the fall.  Those candidates, needing to reach beyond their traditional bases, are scrambling for voters outside their own party. And the competition for opposite-party support has reached ferocious proportions in the high-spending, nationally watched clash between seasoned Democratic Reps.