Brad Sherman Bio
Bradley James Sherman (born October 24, 1954) is an American accountant and politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for California’s 32nd congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he first entered Congress in 1997 and has represented districts that have been numbered the 24th, 27th, 30th, and 32nd over his multi-decade tenure in the House of Representatives. His district covers parts of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County and the eastern portion of the Simi Hills in Ventura County. A Certified Public Accountant with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, Sherman is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and has spent much of his career focused on foreign policy, trade, and economic oversight.
Early Life and Background
Bradley James Sherman was born in Los Angeles, California, on October 24, 1954. He is the son of Lane Sherman, who came from the Philadelphia area, and Maurice Hyman Sherman, who came from Indiana. Both of his parents were of Ukrainian Jewish descent, and Sherman was raised in a household shaped by that heritage. He attended Mark Keppel High School and later transferred to Corona del Mar High School, completing his secondary education in California.
After high school, Sherman enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1974. He then continued his studies at Harvard Law School, graduating with a Juris Doctor in 1979. While at Harvard, he also served as an instructor at the law school’s International Tax Program, an early sign of his interest in fiscal and international policy that would later define his work in Congress.
Path to US Politics
Before entering public office, Sherman built a career as a Certified Public Accountant and worked at one of the nation’s Big Four accounting firms. In that role, he helped represent the Philippine government under President Corazon Aquino in a successful effort to seize the hidden assets of deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos. That experience gave him direct exposure to international financial investigations and shaped his later interest in foreign policy and economic accountability.
Sherman entered elected politics in 1990, winning a seat on the California State Board of Equalization. He served on the Board from 1991 to 1997 and chaired it from 1991 to 1995, gaining a reputation as a fiscal watchdog at the state level. He was re-elected to the Board in 1994, and on January 3, 1997, he resigned after being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, beginning the congressional phase of his career.
Brad Sherman Career
Early Career (1991–1996)
Sherman’s political career began with his election to the California State Board of Equalization in 1990. The campaign was contentious, with attacks exchanged between Sherman and his Republican opponent, Claude Parrish. Sherman won the seat and was re-elected in 1994, serving as chair of the Board for four of his six years in office. In that role, he oversaw tax administration for the state of California and built a public record on fiscal issues.
When longtime Democratic incumbent Anthony C. Beilenson of California’s 24th congressional district decided to retire in 1996, Sherman saw an opening in Congress. He won a crowded seven-candidate Democratic primary with 54 percent of the vote and went on to defeat Republican nominee Rich Sybert 49 percent to 44 percent in the general election, the closest race of his career.
Breakthrough (1997–2012)
After his first win, Sherman was re-elected in 1998 with 57 percent of the vote and has since been re-elected every two years with at least 62 percent of the vote, establishing himself as a durable incumbent. He represented California’s 24th congressional district for three terms before redistricting moved him to the 27th district, where he served five terms, and then to the 30th district, where he served another five terms.
Sherman’s most dramatic congressional moment came in 2012, when redistricting placed him in the same district as fellow Democrat Howard Berman. The two faced off in the primary, where Sherman finished first with 42 percent to Berman’s 32 percent, and then in the general election under California’s new top-two system. Despite Berman’s long list of endorsements, including support from leading Democrats and Republicans, Sherman won the general election 60 percent to 40 percent, an unusually open victory in an intramural battle.
During this period, Sherman built a record on foreign policy and trade that would define his career. He voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Central American Free Trade Agreement, arguing that they cost American jobs. He introduced more than 20 bills across the 111th and 112th Congresses aimed at imposing tougher sanctions on Iran, and he pushed legislation to end China’s Most Favored Nation trade status in 2010.
Democratic Era (1997–Present)
Sherman has been a consistent Democratic voice on economic and foreign policy throughout his House career. In 2011, he co-sponsored SOPA, a controversial online copyright bill. He also earned 100 percent ratings from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the Service Employees International Union, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, the Human Rights Campaign, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Sierra Club, and the National Education Association, reflecting strong support from labor, environmental, and civil rights groups.
Sherman introduced an Article of Impeachment against President Donald Trump on July 12, 2017, alleging obstruction of justice related to the firing of FBI Director James Comey, one of the earliest such moves in the chamber. He also led a House revolt against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, making him briefly unpopular with both parties’ leadership. As a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he has championed U.S.-Israel relations, sanctions on Qatar, action on the Uyghur crisis, and Congressional recognition of the Armenian genocide.
In January 2025, Sherman engaged in a heated exchange with President Donald Trump during a meeting on the Palisades Fire, urging substantial federal funding for rebuilding while criticizing tying aid to conditions like Voter ID. He has also pressed the Trump administration to delay tariffs on construction materials to ease the recovery from wildfires that destroyed more than 6,800 structures and killed at least 12 people.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Sherman’s most notable achievements was his 2012 defeat of Howard Berman, a 30-year House veteran, in a rare member-versus-member general election. He has introduced Articles of Impeachment against President Trump, authored major trade and Iran sanctions legislation, and held more than 160 town hall meetings with constituents since first being elected to Congress.
Brad Sherman Career Wins
Brad Sherman has won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in every cycle since 1996. After a narrow 49 percent to 44 percent victory in his first race, he has been re-elected every two years by margins of at least 62 percent, making him one of the most consistently successful Democratic incumbents in California.
Congressional Election Highlights
Sherman first won California’s 24th congressional district in 1996, defeating Republican Rich Sybert. He has since represented four numbered districts across the 24th, 27th, 30th, and 32nd, reflecting California’s regular redistricting. He has never lost a general election since his first, and he has been re-elected in every cycle through the 118th Congress.
Other Wins and Achievements
Before Congress, Sherman won election to the California State Board of Equalization in 1990 and was re-elected in 1994, serving as chair from 1991 to 1995. He has also won consistent legislative ratings of 100 percent from major labor unions, environmental groups, and civil rights organizations across his House career.
Brad Sherman Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Bradley James Sherman was raised in a family of Ukrainian Jewish heritage. His father, Maurice Hyman Sherman, came from Indiana, and his mother, Lane Sherman, came from the Philadelphia area. Sherman grew up in Los Angeles and has spoken of how his parents’ background shaped his interest in public service and his strong support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Personal Life
Sherman is married to Lisa Nicola Kaplan, a foreign affairs officer for the U.S. State Department. The couple wed on December 3, 2006. Sherman and his wife have three daughters: Molly Hannah, born in 2009; Naomi Claire, born in 2010; and Lucy Rayna, born in 2011. Sherman is Jewish, and his family life is centered in the San Fernando Valley, the same region he represents in Congress.