Bob Hertzberg

Key Facts

Party N/A; nonpartisan election
Status Challenger

Background

Bob Hertzberg received a B.A. in History and English from the University of Redlands and a J.D. from UC Hastings [1]. Hertzberg has been a CA State Senator for 9 years and has served as the State Senate Majority Leader since 2019. He sits on the committees for Energy, utilities, and communications, Governance and finance, Judiciary, Elections and constitutional amendments, and Natural resources and water [6]. Before being elected to the State Senate, he served in the CA State Assembly for 6 years and was the Speaker of the Assembly for 2 years [2]. He previously worked as a partner at Mayer Brown legal firm for 12 years and served as Leadership Council Co-Chair for California Forward [8]. 


Hertzberg serves on the Board of Directors for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Valley Industry and Commerce Association Association, and LA Opportunities Industrialization Center. After leaving the State Assembly, he created an LA-based solar manufacturing company and co-launched a global lightweight solar panel company. He has two adult sons and lives in Van Nuys with his partner and their daughter [1].

Key Issues

Homelessness

Hertzberg wants to settle the LA Alliance lawsuit, restructure the LA Homeless Services Authority to include County officials on the Board, create a homelessness pilot program to streamline regulations, and look into the root causes of homelessness [3]. He supports increasing access to mental health services and job opportunities [1]. As a State Senator, Hertzberg worked on two bills relating to improving pet assistance and support programs for people experiencing homelessness with pets (SB258 & SB344) [2].

Housing

Hertzberg supports converting vacant commercial property into residential space through policies like adaptive reuse [1]. He supports repurposing surplus property from state and local governments into housing units, promoting homeownership by providing up to $150,000 in down payment assistance, and promoting private funding strategies such as ‘silent second’ mortgages to further down payment and mortgage assistance. He also wants to ensure new housing construction is sustainable and environmentally sensitive [2, 3]. 

 

Public Safety

Hertzberg supports increasing law enforcement funding, filling police staff shortages, and increasing the number of police on the streets. He wants to increase the use of community-based policing and promote partnerships with neighborhood groups, grassroots organizations, and civilians [1]. 

 

Gun Policy

Hertzberg supports regulating gun use and ownership. As a State Senator, he introduced SB 1327, which would establish a private right of action for citizens against those found in illegal possession of guns or assisting with the sale/import/manufacturing of ghost guns [2]. 

 

Healthcare

As a State Assemblymember, Hertzberg authored the Women’s Contraceptive Equity Act, which required state insurance plans to cover contraception. He supports increasing funding for community health clinics serving low-income communities [1]. 

 

Education

 As a State Assembly member, Hertzberg co-authored a bill to guarantee funding for every student who applies to Cal-Grant [1]. He supports canceling student debt [12].

LGBTQIA+

Hertzberg supports protecting trans and gender-non-conforming students from discrimination in schools and sports. As a State Senator, he introduced a bill to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools [5].

 

Reproductive Rights

Hertzberg supports protecting access to reproductive healthcare such as abortions and contraception [5]. 

 

Environment

Hertzberg supports transitioning to clean energy and wants to address groundwater replenishment [5, 10]. As a State Senator he voted in favor of prohibiting new oil well construction near schools and homes [12]. 

 

Endorsements

​Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; California Nurses Association (CNA); Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99; Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 121 Registered Nurses; Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 721; Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 2015; Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Services Workers West; ​Los Angeles/Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council; International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 36; Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters (SWRCC); National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW); AFSCME District Council 36; AFSCME Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD); AFSCME Local 685, LA County Deputy Probation Officers’ Union; AFSCME Local 830 – Los Angeles County Agricultural/ Weights & Measures Inspectors’ Union; AFSCME Local 1902, representing the working people of Southern California Water Districts; ATU Local 1277; California Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) Union; Communications Workers of America Southern California Council; District Council of Iron Workers of the State of California; International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada (IATSE); International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 12; International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 501; International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 11; International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD); California-Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers; Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16; United Association (UA) Local 78 – Plumbers; United Association (UA) Local 114 – Pipefitters & Welders; United Association (UA) Local 230 – Plumbers, Steamfitters, WVACR; United Association (UA) Local 250 – Refrigeration Fitters, Steamfitters & Welders; United Association (UA) Local 345 – Landscape and Irrigation & Underground Piping Fitters; United Association (UA) Local 364 – Plumbers & Pipefitters; United Association (UA) Local 398 – Steamfitters, Plumbers & Pipefitters; United Association (UA) Local 403 – Plumbers, Steamfitters & Pipefitters; United Association (UA) Local 460 – Plumbers and Pipefitters; United Association (UA) Local 484 – Welders, Plumbers & Pipefitters; United Association (UA) Local 582 – Plumbers & Steamfitters; United Association (UA) Local 709 – Sprinkler Fitters; United Association (UA) Local 761 – Plumbers & Steamfitters; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 18; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 47; International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, Transportation (SMART) Local 105; United Farm Workers (UFW); United Steelworkers (USW) Local 675; Teamsters Joint Council 42; Los Angeles County Firefighters, IAFF Local 1014; Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS); Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association; Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association (PPOA); Los Angeles Police Protective League; Beverly Hills Police Association (BHPOA); San Fernando Police Officers Association; Santa Monica Police Officers Association; Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Leadership Action Fund (CHIRLA); Los Angeles Daily News; Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper; ​Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Jobs PAC; Los Angeles County Business Federation Political Action Committee – BizFed PAC; Los Angeles Latino Chamber of Commerce; Central City Association of Los Angeles; Hollywood Chamber of Commerce PAC; WEHO PAC sponsored by West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce; Democrats For Israel-Los Angeles; New Frontier Democratic Club; Southern California Armenian Democrats (SCAD); Valley Industry & Commerce Association; Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator; Tony Cardenas, U.S. Congressmember; Brad Sherman, U.S. Congressmember; Norma Torres, U.S. Congressmember; Juan Vargas, U.S. Congressmember; Mickey Kantor, U.S. Secretary of Commerce (Ret.); Eleni Kounalakis, CA Lieutenant Governor; Rob Bonta, CA Attorney General; Fiana Ma, CA State Treasurer; Ricardo Lara, CA State Insurance Commissioner; Toni Atkins, CA Senate President Pro Tempore; Mike McGuire, CA Senate Majority Leader; Anthony Rendon, CA State Assembly Speaker; Kevin Mullin, CA State Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore; Eloise Reyes, CA State Assembly Majority Leader; John A. Perez, CA State Assembly Speaker Emeritus & U.C. Regent; Fabian Nunez, CA State Assembly Speaker Emeritus; Ben Allen, CA State Senator; Steven Bradford, CA Legislative Black Caucus Chair, State Senator; Anna Caballero, CA State Senator; Maria Elena Durazo, CA State Senator; Lena Gonzalez, CA State Senator; Melissa Hurtado, CA State Senator; John Laird, CA State Senator; Josh Newman, CA State Senator; Anthony Portantino, CA State Senator; Tom Umberg, CA State Senator; Richard Bloom, CA State Assemblymember, Lisa Calderon, CA State Assemblymember; Mike Gipson, CA State Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair; Chris Holden, CA State Assemblymember; Jacqui Irwin, CA State Assemblymember; Reggie Jones-Sawyer, CA State Assemblymember and Assembly Public Safety Chair; Evan Low, CA State Assemblymember and LGBTQ Caucus Chair, Luz Rivas, CA State Assemblymember; Miguel Santiago, CA State Assemblymember; Jim Wood, CA State Assemblymember; Autumn Burke, CA State Assemblymember (Ret.); Gray Davis, CA Governor (Ret.); Steve Westley, CA State Controller (Ret.); Martha Escutia, CA State Senator (Ret.); Don Perata, CA State Senate President pro Tempore (Ret.); Ian Calderon, CA State Assembly Majority Leader (Ret.); Dario Frommer, CA State Assembly Majority Leader (Ret.); Richard Katz, CA State Assembly Minority Leader (Ret.); Mike Roos, CA State Assembly Majority Leader (Ret.); Fred Keeley, CA Assembly Speaker pro Tem and Founding Board Member of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (Ret.); George Kieffer, University of California Board of Regents Chair Emeritus; Kathryn Barger, LA County Supervisor; Gil Cedillo, LA City Councilmember; Mike Hernandez, LA City Councilmember (Ret.); Greig Smith, LA City Councilmember (Ret.); Mike Woo, LA City Councilmember (Ret.); David Tokofsky, LA Unified School District Board of Education Member; Cindy Montanez, San Fernando City Councilmember & former State Assemblymember; Celeste Rodriguez, San Fernando City Councilmember; Robert Gonzales, San Fernando Mayor (Ret.); Antonio Lopez, San Fernando Mayor (Ret.); Todd Gloria, San Diego Mayor and former Assemblymember; Darrel Steinberg, Sacramento Mayor and Former President Pro Tem of the California State Senate; Chris Anstead, Agoura Hills Mayor Pro Tem, Denis Weber, Agoura Hills City Councilmember; Jess Talamantes, Burbank Mayor; Dr. Armond Aghakhanian, Burbank Unified School District Board of Education Member; David J. Shapiro, Calabasas Mayor Pro Tem; Peter Kraut, Calabasas City Councilmember; Alicia Weintraub, Calabasas City Councilmember; Fred Gaines, Calabasas Mayor (Ret.) and The Valley Economic Alliance Chair; Jonathan Wolfson, Calabasas Mayor (Ret.); Laura McCorkindale, Hidden Hills Mayor; Eniko Gold, Hidden Hills Councilmember; Stuart E. Siegel, Hidden Hills Councilmember; Lesli Stein, Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education Vice President; Angela Cutbill, Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education Member; Dallas Lawrence, Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education Member; Jill Gaines, Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education President (Ret.); Brad Halpern, Westlake Village Mayor; Ray Pearl, Westlake Village Mayor Pro Tem; Ned Davis, Westlake Village Councilmember; Kelly Honig, Westlake Village Councilmember; Susan McSweeney, Westlake Village Councilmember; John Duran, West Hollywood Mayor (Ret.); Alan Viterbi, West Hollywood Mayor (Ret.); Jimmy Delshad, Beverly Hills Mayor (Ret.); Todd Campbell, Burbank Mayor (Ret.); Saul Mejia, Panorama City Chamber of Commerce president; Danilo Guerra, Panorama City Chamber Vice President; Mike Benedetto, Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council President; Glenn Bailey, Northridge Neighborhood Council Member; Jane Usher, Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council Co-Founder and Former Los Angeles City Planning Commission Chair; Jill Banks Baras-Hopkins, Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (VANC) Founder and Chair, LA Department of Water and Power Commissioner; Bobby Arias, Champions in Service Co-Founder and Pacoima Leader; Blinky Rodriguez, Champions in Service Co-Founder and Pacoima Leader; Patti Jo Wolfson, Encino Property Owners Association Board Member, Woodland Hills Rotary Club Board Member, New Directions for Youth Board of Directors Member; Victor Griego, Water Education for Latino Leaders Founder and President; Rich Leib, U.C. Board of Regents Vice Chair; David Abel, VerdeXchange Institute and former Chair of the LA County Citizens’ Economy and Efficiency Commission; Allen M. Lawrence, Former Chairman of the California Transportation Commission; Current President, Malibu Bay Club Homeowners Association; Richard Moss, Moss Group President; Greg Lippe, California State Pharmacy Board Member, Val*Pac Board Member; Noam Lotan, Advisory Board Member, Woodbury University School of Business; Past Director, Capstone Green Energy; Dan Mazmanian, Professor & Former Dean, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy; Dan Rosenfeld, California State Director of Real Estate and Los Angeles City Asset Manager (Ret.); Heidi Duckler, Heidi Duckler Dance Company Founder; Steve Nissen, Greater LA Chamber of Commerce former Chair; Former Executive Director, Public Counsel Law Center; Former Chair of the Board, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation; Renata Simril, LA84 Foundation CEO; Jacob Lipa, Psomas Former Chair; Kerry Morrison, Hollywood Entertainment District BID Former Executive Director; Founder & Project Director, Heart Forward LA Kerry Morrison; Bud Ovrum, Los Angeles Deputy Mayor (Ret.); Ross Zelen, The Planning Report Editor (Ret.); Richard Ziman, City of Hope National Medical Center Chair (Ret.) and Los Angeles Business Council Member; Paul Vandeventer, Community Partners Founder and President (Ret.); Gail Goldberg, Los Angeles Planning Director (Ret.); Brenda Levin, Downtown Women’s Center Former Chair; Karen B. Winnick, Children’s Book Author, Artist, Wild Earth Allies Board Member; Adeena Bleich, Los Angeles Community Leader; David Bernal, San Fernando Planning Commission Member and Veteran of Foreign Wars Member; Irwin Rosenberg, San Fernando Police Department Lieutenant; Ernesto Hidalgo, Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance Chair; Severyn Askenazy, Valley Property and Business Owner; Martha Diaz-Askenazy, Valley Businesswoman and Civil Leader; Adriana Gomez, San Fernando Downtown Mall Association Board Member and former San Fernando Recreation, Parks and Community Service Commissioner; Jeff Belmont, North Hills Community Leader; Daniel Delgadillo, Sylmar Community Leader; Baltazar Martinez, Northeast Valley Community Leader and San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce Member; Cindy Villegas, Latino Coalition of Los Angeles Board Member and Sylmar Resident; Jason Benavidez, Topanga Canyon Leader; Adriana Serrano, Studio City Resident, Community Leader and Cancer Advocate; Roberto Barragan, CA Community Economic Development Association President and Northridge resident; Ann Job, Sylmar Neighborhood Council President (Ret.); Luis C. Valenzuela, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Board Member (Ret.); Diane Harrison, CSUN President Emerita; Hope Boonshaft, Former Public Diplomacy Director, Israeli Consulate; Alan Skobin, Los Angeles Police Commission Vice President (Ret.); Ron Kaye, Los Angeles Daily News Editor (Ret.); Jane Skeeter, LEED AP, Founder/CEO; Board Member, West Valley Boys & Girls Club; Former President, LA Chapter, National Association of Women’s Business Owners (NABO); Former Board Member, West Hills Hospital; Dr. Jonathan Thomas, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Chair; Yolanda Fuentes, Valley High School Assistant Executive; Guadalupe Talamantes, Restauranteur in Reseda; Mikayeel Khan, Pacoima Neighborhood Council President (Ret.); Norma Lozano, LAUSD Teacher and Lakeview Terrace Leader; Tania Jordan, Teacher and Mission Hills Leader; William D. Ross, Attorney and former Pasadena Planning Commission Chair; Walter W. Mosher Jr., Ph.D, Pierce College Foundation Board Member, Woodbury University Board of Trustees Member and former Chair of Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA); Dr. Dana Jacobson, Licensed Educational Psychologist, Ed.D; Brad Rosenheim, Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) Immediate Past Chair and Homes 4 Families Chair; Raja “Amy” B. Marhaba, Jonathan Foundation For Children with Learning Disabilities Founder and President & Breaking the Chains Foundation Board Member; Neil Carrey, Santa Monica Travel and Tourism Board Vice Chair; John Parker, Valley Economic Alliance Vice Chair; Rebecca Thompson, Valley Community Healthcare Chair Emeritus; John Hernandez, Pacoima Chamber of Commerce Member and Business Owner; Carol Biondi, Children’s Defense Fund Board Member; Bob Wynn, African American Leadership Organization (AALO) President and CEO; Lee Alpert, Tarzana Hospital Board Past Chair; LA Building & Safety Commission Past Chair; Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment Commission Past Chair; LA County Judicial Procedures Commission Past Chair; Stuart Liner, Westside Attorney; Lorraine Paskett, AES Vice President, President of Paskett Winery; David Fleming, Valley Presbyterian Hospital Chairman (Ret.); Dan Weinstein, Board of Trustees California State University (CSU) (Ret.); Rabbi David Baron, Founding Rabbi Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts; Theresa Tellis, Warner Brothers Retirees Club Secretary; Sam Lewis, Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) Executive Director; Jerry Neuman, Civil Leader; John Ly, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Executive Advisory Member, Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association (SCCLA) Board Member, Bet Tzedek Legal Services Board Member, LA Department of Transportation City Commissioner; Sylvia Patsaouras, California Democratic Party (CDP) First Vice Chair Alexandra Gallardo-Rooker (Ret.), Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks Commission President, and former Regional Planned Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG); Steve H. Gardner, Beverly Hills Bar Association Barristers President and Beverly Hills Bar Association Board of Governors Member (Ret.); Marco Santana, Los Angeles County Young Democrats (LACYD) Vice President and Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley (DPSFV) Controller and Director of Engagement at LA Family Housing; Don Franken, World Class Sports President; Praful Kulkarni, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation Past Chair; Howard Welinsky, California Democratic Party (CDP) Platform Committee Chair Emeritus and Democrats for Israel – Los Angeles (DFI-LA) Chair; Dr. Neal Kaufman, Canary Health Chief Medical Officer and First 5 LA Board Member (Ret.); Dr. Fran Kaufman, Children’s Hospital Head of Endocrinology & Metabolism and Former American President Diabetes Association; Linda Griego, MLK Health & Wellness Community Development Corporation Chair; Gary N Stern, Jewish Community Leader and Host of Podcast After the Glory; Mike Dreyer, HCVT Partner; Scott Roeb, UCLA Foundation Board Council, Co-creator of the Alumni Association’s Cub Club Program, Member of the Board of Directors and the Board of Governors of The Show Coalition, Founding Member of The Common Good; Jay Sures, United Talent Agency Co-President & Board Member; Patricia Glaser, Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard & Shapiro, LLP Founding Partner; Tony Lucente, Studio City Homeowner Association President (Ret.); Jonathan Zasloff, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Board Member, Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice, and Friends of Israel’s Environment; Lessing E. Gold, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP Partner; Pegi Matsuda, Fernando Award Foundation Board Co-Chair, Valley Economic Alliance and the Community Foundation of the Valleys Board Member; Harry Zinn, UCLA Center for Jewish Studies Board of Directors; David Honda, Asian Business Association of Los Angeles President (Ret.); Stacy Kramer, Swing Left Consultant and Screenwriter; Craig C. Darian, Occidental Entertainment Group Holdings Inc.,Chairman & CEO; Stanley Treitel, Community Leader; Joanne Kozberg, University of California (U.C.) Regent (Ret.); Kambiz Babaoff, ETTA Board of Directors President and Cornerstone Housing Chair; Eliot Abel, Namaste Solar and Board Treasurer Co-Owner; Randy Witt, Valley Economic Alliance Chair (Ret.); Mary Ellen Early, Action Democrats of the San Fernando Valley President; Susan Friedman, Los Angeles County Mental Health Commissioner; Alan Friedman, Mediator; Mia Lehrer, Urbanist & Environmental Planner; Dr. William A. Burke, South Coast AQMD Governing Board Chair; Felecia Marcus, Former United States Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator, Heal the Bay Co-Founder, and Former Western Director of Natural Resources Defense Council; Neil Carrey, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism Board Vice Chair; Greg Girvan, San Fernando Valley Young Democrats Past President; John Shegerian, Western Regional Chairman of The Armenian Assembly of America (Ret.); co-founder of Homeboy Industries, and co-founder of Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the nation’s largest recycler of electronic waste; Sanford P. Paris, LA City Library Commission Former President; Former Chairman, Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA); Cliff Goldstein, LAANE Advisory Board Member; Rickey Gelb, Encino Community Leader; Dan Weitzman, California Democratic Party Controller Emeritus (Ret.); Alastair Mactaggart, Californians for Consumer Privacy Chair; Nicholas T. Hariton, USC Gould School of Law Intellectual Property Institute Executive and Planning Committee Member; Timothy Gaspar, Discovery Cube Los Angeles Board Member, West Valley YMCA Board Member, Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley former Board Member, Val*PAC Member; Veronica Soto, MEND Project Lead and Arleta Resident; Rogelio Flores, Northeast Graffiti Busters Non-Profit Director; Alicia Bartley, Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee; Christopher P. Warne, San Fernando Valley Bar Association President; Noah Mamet, U.S. Ambassador to Argentina; Angel R. Cervantes, Teacher/Community Activist/Radio Personality; Joyce Kleifield, Longtime community activist, Mid City West Neighborhood Council Administrator, 2010 42nd Assembly District Woman of the Year; George Francisco, Venice Chamber of Commerce President; Eric Schockman, Professor at Woodbury University; Jonathan Parfrey, Environmental Leader

Sources

1 Campaign Website
2 Senate Majority Leader Robert Hertzberg
3 Blueprint UCLA
4 Daily News
5 Twitter
6 Cal Matters
7 Facebook
8 Linkedin
9 Ballotpedia
10 Los Angeles Times
11 Voters Edge
12 Votesmart