Candidates for San Fernando Valley districts

24TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Name: Catherine Carter

Political affiliation: Natural Law

Born: Oct. 5, 1954, in Torrance

Residence: Malibu

Current position: nonfiction author

Education: attended Santa Monica College, 1973; Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, 1974-75; Palomar College, 1989-90

Career highlights: owned special events and holiday decor company, 1980-95; educator; Southern California chair, Natural Law Party, 1996; Natural Law Assembly 73rd District candidate (north San Diego County and southern Orange County area), 1996

Family: single, no children

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Name: Joe Gelman

Political affiliation: Republican

Born: July 18, 1960, in Indianapolis

Residence: Van Nuys

Current position: columnist/businessman

Education: attended Fullerton College, 1984-86

Career highlights: former president, Board of Civil Service Commissioners, city of Los Angeles; active in passage of Proposition 209; former chairman, Resolutions Committee, Republican Party

Family: married to Ofra, architect with Mirage Resorts, Las Vegas; children--expecting first child

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Name: Randy Hoffman

Political affiliation: Republican

Born: Oct. 28, 1953, in Evanston, Ill.

Residence: Thousand Oaks

Current position: co-founder and CEO of Magellan Systems

Education: bachelor’s degree in business, USC, 1976; MBA, Harvard University, 1980

Career highlights: co-founder, FREE, Finally Restoring Excellence in Education, fighting to break up LAUSD; California Domestic Violence Advisory Council; executive committee, KIDS SAFE; president, Bushnell Optics; instructor, Cal State Fullerton

Family: married to Brenda Hoffman, homemaker; children, Hannah, Sydney, Alexandria and Harrison

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Name: Erich D. Miller

Political affiliation: Libertarian

Born: June 20, 1961, in St. Louis, Mo.

Residence: Reseda

Current position: businessman and journeyman musician

Education: bachelor’s degree in music, North Texas State University, 1983; master’s degree in music, Northern Illinois University, 1985

Career highlights: 10 years, music teacher, Emblem School, Saugus Unified School District; percussionist on several television/film and commercial scores including “Cheers,” “Northern Exposure,” “Speed 2” and Sunkist; albums--Erich Miller & Panache “So SoCA”

Family: married to Beth Miller, corporate assistant treasurer; daughter--Abigail

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Name: Brad Sherman

Political affiliation: Democrat

Born: Oct. 24, 1955, in Los Angeles

Residence: Woodland Hills

Current position: U.S. representative, 24th District

Education: bachelor’s degree in political communication management, UCLA, 1974; law degree, Harvard University, 1979

Career highlights: advocate for fiscal responsibility, environment, the Santa Monica Mountains, Social Security and Medicare; CPA; California Common Cause board member, 1985-89; led successful fight to repeal snack tax

Family: single

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Name: Ralph Shroyer

Political affiliation: Peace and Freedom

Born: June 2, 1930, in Oak Park, Ill.

Residence: Woodland Hills

Current position: retired teacher

Education: bachelor’s degree in psychology, Illinois University, 1952; master’s degree in history and education, Cal State Northridge, 1962

Career highlights: helped found Peace and Freedom Party, 1969; elected to House of Representatives of United Teachers-Los Angeles; vice president of California Democratic Club; wrote American Federation of Teachers’ resolution opposing Vietnam War, 1967

Family: divorced; child--Claudia

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Name: William Westmiller

Political affiliation: Republican

Born: June 1, 1947, in Minneapolis, Minn.

Residence: Thousand Oaks

Current position: small business owner

Education: studied physics at St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minn., 1965-66, and journalism at University of Minnesota, 1966-67

Career highlights: interest in politics started in high school, winning election as junior class president; elected national secretary of the Libertarian Party during the 70s; active in several recent Republican campaigns

Family: married to Robin Westmiller, writer; children--Tandy, Kimberly and Michelle

25TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Name: Bruce R. Acker

Political affiliation: Libertarian

Born: Sept. 21, 1956, in Dayton, Ohio

Residence: Chatsworth

Current position: owner of software retail store

Education: bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 1979; MBA, Cal Lutheran University, 1995

Career highlights: 19 years as engineer and manager in the local aerospace industry; active volunteer director and reader for the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic organization; 15 years with Libertarian Party

Family: married to Dorothy Acker, office manager; stepchildren--Shelby and Robert Foster.

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Name: Howard P. “Buck” McKeon

Political affiliation: Republican

Born: Sept. 9, 1938, Tujunga

Residence: Santa Clarita

Current position: U.S. representative, 25th District

Education: bachelor’s degree in business, Brigham Young University, 1985

Career highlights: president, House Republican Freshman Class, 1993-94; chairman, Postsecondary Education subcommittee; Santa Clarita City Council, 1987-92 and first mayor; co-owner, Howard & Phil’s Western Wear; former William S. Hart Union High School District trustee

Family: married to Patricia McKeon, public relations consultant; children--David, Howard, John, Kimberly, Tamara and Tricia

26TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Name: Maria Armoudian

Political affiliation: Green

Born: Aug. 9, 1966, in Baton Rouge, La.

Residence: Granada Hills

Current position: co-owner, West Los Angeles Glue Newspapers

Education: bachelor’s degree in political science, Southwestern State University, 1987

Career highlights: syndicated journalist and editor for 10 years; co-founded nonprofit organization and two newspapers; former California legislative aide

Family: single; no children

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Name: Howard L. Berman

Political affiliation: Democrat

Born: April 15, 1941, in Los Angeles

Residence: Valley Village

Current position: U.S. representative, 26th District

Education: bachelor’s degree in international relations, UCLA, 1962; law degree, UCLA, 1965

Career highlights: Majority Leader, California Assembly; elected to Congress, 1982; wrote whistle-blower law that saved taxpayers $2 billion; champion of COPS program that brought more police to the Valley; led effort to restore Hansen Dam Lake; created program to reimburse California for incarceration of illegal immigrants

Family: married to Janis Berman, homemaker; children--Lindsey and Brinley

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Name: David L. Cossak (Declined to be photographed)

Political affiliation: Natural Law

Born: May 9, 1952, in Los Angeles

Residence: Valley Village

Current position: businessman in real estate

Education: Grant High School graduate, 1969

Career highlights: real estate broker for 18 years; ran for Assembly for 40th District, 1996

Family: single; children--Brian and Melodie

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Name: Raul Godinez II

Political affiliation: Democrat

Born: March 24, 1962, in San Fernando

Residence: San Fernando

Current position: mayor, city of San Fernando; civil engineer, city of Los Angeles

Education: bachelor’s degree in engineering, Cal State Northridge, 1987

Career highlights: since 1992, active with VOICE, Valley Organized in Community Efforts, a community group organized to limit liquor stores in the city of San Fernando; 1994, elected councilman; 1997, elected mayor

Family: single; no children

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Name: Juan Carlos Ros

Political affiliation: Libertarian

Born: Feb. 14, 1968, in Miami, Fla.

Residence: North Hollywood

Current position: screenwriter

Education: bachelor’s degree in film, Pennsylvania State University, 1988

Career highlights: executive director, Libertarian Party of California, 1998; production assistant and assistant director on numerous films, 1988-92; manager’s assistant for Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, 1993-96

Family: married to Stacey Ros, registered dietitian; no children

27TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Name: Barry A. Gordon

Political affiliation: Democrat

Born: Dec. 21, 1948, in Brookline, Mass.

Residence: Pasadena

Current position: attorney/actor

Education: bachelor’s degree in political science, Cal State Los Angeles, 1986; law degree, Loyola Law School, 1990

Career highlights: film and television personality; past national president of 80,000-member Screen Actors Guild; helped draft California’s anti-stalking law; co-founder of Coalition for Health Security; board member, Partnership for Drug Free America

Family: married to Gail Schaper-Gordon, CEO of a behavioral health care provider network, Aegis Psychological Corp.; children--Collin, Jason from wife’s previous marriage

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Name: Bob New

Political affiliation: Libertarian

Born: Aug. 10, 1921, in Clovis, Calif.

Residence: Glendale

Current position: president and owner of Bob New Inc., a vehicle and equipment leasing business

Education: associate’s degree in business, Glendale College, 1946

Career highlights: founded Turntable Specialists Co., 1948, owner and operator; founded Bob New Inc., 1957, president and general manager; founded Autoquire Corp., 1973, president and general manager; state Senate Libertarian candidate, 1996

Family: widowed; children--stepsons John and D. Durand Cook

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Name: James E. Rogan

Political affiliation: Republican

Born: Aug. 21, 1957, in San Francisco

Residence: Glendale

Current position: U.S. representative, 27th District

Education: bachelor’s degree in political science, UC Berkeley, 1979; law degree, UCLA, 1983

Career highlights: former Democrat; youngest sitting judge in California; Assembly Majority Leader; only freshman Republican elected to Congress from California in 1996; only Republican to serve on both the Judiciary and Commerce committees

Family: married to Christine Rogan, homemaker; children--twins Dana and Claire