L.A. Times endorses Berman in bruising 30th district race
The Democratic slugfest underway in California’s 30th Congressional District is the product of two political developments of recent years: the open primary and nonpartisan redistricting.
The former means that the two top finishers in the upcoming congressional race will face each other again in the fall, even if both are from the same political party; the latter has resulted in two titans of the Southern California Democratic Party having to face each other. Rep. Howard Berman and Rep. Brad Sherman are admirable public officials with long and impressive records of service. Either would provide solid representation for the 30th District. Faced with a tough choice, The Times endorses Berman.
That is not to slight Sherman. He has ably represented his San Fernando Valley district since 1997. He has a reliably liberal voting record that includes support for the environment, aid to education, support for Israel, delivery of services to his district and skepticism of some of the free-trade pacts advanced in recent years. He also played a leading role in opposing the Bush administration’s Troubled Asset Relief Program as the economy melted down in 2008.
-- L.A. Times