Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
Rep. Howard Berman already had the endorsement of most of the Democrats in the state's House delegation, to just two who have gone public for Rep. Brad Sherman. Now 22 of Berman's friends are also lending their name to a fundraising event next week in Washington (see invite to the left.) They include locals Karen Bass, Xavier Becerra, Lucille Roybal-Allard and Linda and Loretta Sanchez, as well as George Miller from up north. Party leader Nancy Pelosi isn't among the listed co-sponsors, but Politico notes that the presence of Miller and Becerra unofficially ties Pelosi to Berman. Sherman has received the public support of Reps. Grace Napolitano and Judy Chu. In tomorrow's New York Times, Jennifer Steinhauer notes that the Berman-Sherman race "is expected to be the most expensive House primary in the nation, owing in part to the costly media market that is Los Angeles, and California’s new open primary system, in which the two top vote getters — quite possibly Mr. Berman and Mr. Sherman — face off again."
"This is going to be the battle royal,” said Eric Bauman, chairman of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. “Both of these guys will be extremely well funded with top-flight campaign teams. They both have records to talk about and accomplishments to talk about. But ultimately it is about defining themselves, and that is where money comes in.”