Jake Levine, a clean energy advocate who served in the White House under the last two Democratic presidents, has jumped into the race for California’s 32nd Congressional District, which encompasses parts of western San Fernando Valley and the Palisades.
He is the latest to mount a challenge against Rep. Brad Sherman, the 70-year-old Democratic incumbent from Sherman Oaks who was first elected to Congress in 1996.
“The status quo is really not working, and of course, our elected incumbent representatives are part of the status quo. We have to be willing to have some hard conversations when you look at where we are as a party,” said Levine, a Democrat who identified affordability, housing and immigration among his priority issues.
“For so many people, it’s about the cost of living; it’s about the way in which we’ve been steamrolled by an authoritarian president. And we need to change the playbook,” Levine, 41, said.
Challenging a veteran incumbent
Levine’s announcement comes about four months after another political newcomer, 37-year-old Jake Rakov, entered the race, saying it’s time for long-serving members of Congress to step aside and allow a new generation of Democrats to lead. Rakov once worked as Sherman’s deputy communications director.
Rakov has pledged not to serve more than 10 years in Congress if elected. Levine said he, too, supports term limits, though he hasn’t decided what the cap should be. Sherman, who is completing his 15th term, is opposed to term limits.
A senior member of both the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Financial Services Committee, Sherman has said experience matters and knowing how to navigate Congress is an asset.
“You need a mixture in Congress,” Sherman said earlier this year. “We’ve got people in their 20s and people who are older. The fact is, every two years, people have a chance to vote. A seat in Congress isn’t a prize we give to somebody because it’s their turn. You vote for the person who’s going to be most effective.”
Running for office often requires money — especially in competitive races. As of June 30, Sherman had the biggest war chest, with about $4.15 million cash on hand, according to campaign finance records.
Rakov had just over $435,000 cash on hand, after loaning himself $500,000.
And according to Levine’s campaign, he raised over $250,000 one day after announcing his candidacy.
‘Incumbent on me … to step up’
Levine is a fourth-generation Angeleno who grew up in Pacific Palisades and now lives in Brentwood. He is the son of former California Rep. Mel Levine, who served from 1983 to 1993.
If elected, the younger Levine said he wants to focus on the housing crisis, affordability issues — from child care and health care to transportation and energy — and keeping the film and television industry in the L.A. area to support the local economy.
Levine also spoke of a need to stand up to President Donald Trump and his administration when it comes to immigration policies, as well as create a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who contribute to the economy and are helping rebuild and clean up Los Angeles.
During President Barack Obama‘s first term, Levine served as a policy analyst in the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change. He later served on the White House National Security Council under President Joe Biden, working as special assistant to the president and as senior director for climate and energy.
In between his two White House stints, Levine in 2020 worked as an advisor in the office of Gov. Gavin Newsom, helping to launch the California Climate Action Corps, a service program for young people.
This past year, Levine — whose mother, as well as his aunt and uncle, lost their homes during January’s L.A.-area wildfires — helped found a nonprofit called Department of Angels to assist victims of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
The wildfire recovery effort revealed the government’s lack of effectiveness, Levine said, from federal policies against testing the soil for toxic substances to challenges in getting resources to homeowners and renters quickly. He said the experience served as a wake-up call that government needs to change.
Seeing the community he grew up in destroyed, followed shortly after by the birth of his son, spurred Levine to run for office, he said.
“You start to look at things through the lens of a new generation and what are we leaving for our children,” Levine said.
“I worry that the systems that are in place today are failing us, and I feel that it is incumbent on me and my generation to step up and try to build something better,” he added.