Former Howard Berman aide goes after Brad Sherman seat

A onetime aide to former Rep. Howard Berman (D-Valley Village) said he is going to try to unseat the man who defeated his boss in a bitter 2012 election.

But this is no grudge match, activist Marc Litchman said Thursday. His main goal in challenging Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) this year is to improve public education. And his biggest target is the nation’s second-largest school district.

“Elect me to Congress and the first bill I introduce will be to break up the Los Angeles Unified School District,” Litchman said in a statement Wednesday announcing his candidacy.

“Students and teachers will perform better, parents will be more involved and our communities will make a stronger investment in a local school district that is easier to manage and can be held accountable for academic excellence and achievement,” Litchman added.

His campaign slogan? “Size matters.”

Sherman and Berman clashed famously in a bruising intra-party fight for a San Fernando Valley congressional seat after the state’s redrawn voting maps put them in the same strongly Democratic district. A new “top two” primary system had them battling it out right up until the November general election.

Litchman, 55, a Democrat, said he worked in Berman’s district office from 1986 to 1990. He is the founder of a nonprofit land trust to acquire property for new schools.

In what seemed reminiscent of his former boss’ campaign playbook, Litchman, in his campaign announcement, took some swipes at Sherman before returning to his main theme.

“Let Washington wallow in partisanship and petty politics,” Litchman said. “Our work is here, at home, rebuilding our public schools and providing our children with the finest education possible.”

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jean.merl@latimes.com

Twitter: @jeanmerl