Progressive Democrat Jake Levine aims to include younger voters’ voices in the primaries

While the California Democratic Party (CADEM) has officially endorsed incumbent Congressman Brad Sherman to continue representing San Fernando Valley’s 32nd District, at least eight opponents filed to challenge the seat. 

One of them is Jake Levine, a pro-immigrant rights’ lawyer who served in the Obama White House, led the Climate and Energy Directorate at the National Security Council, and has been an entrepreneur in the clean energy sector. 

In an interview with CALÓ News, he said some of the reasons for running is to include younger voters to participate and his frustration with Sherman’s inability to respond adequately after the L.A. County wildfires in 2025. 

Among the properties lost in the Palisades was Levine’s childhood home where his mother still resided.

“I saw firsthand that Brad Sherman was unable to grasp the major issues facing this community. He was unable to deliver on very critical needs, including in the insurance industry, which is an area that he regulates as a senior member of the Financial Services Committee,” Levine said. 

He then started the nonprofit Department of Angels to help people who lost homes in the Palisades, in Malibu, Altadena and other affected communities. 

“We have enormous challenges that require new solutions, new ideas, more dynamic members of Congress who can go to Washington and build the coalitions to get things done.”

At 71 years old, Sherman has been in office for 30 years and is running for a 16th term this year. 

The 32nd Congressional District, which spans Simi Valley and Porter Ranch in the north to Pacific Palisades and Malibu in the south and Studio City to the east has a population of about 763,000, with about 25% of the residents being Latino. 

Levine said the district has a deep history that has been shaped by the Latino community in areas like Reseda, Winnetka, Northridge and Simi Valley. He recently participated at the Memorial Day parade in Canoga Park and greeted voters in Spanish.

He said many were impressed in knowing that he was putting the effort to speak in their language and represent them. 

“I think it's important that the Latino community knows that there is an alternative to the person that has been there for 30 years without really delivering much,” Levine said.

Campaign promises

Levine, a third generation Angeleno who identifies as a Progressive Democrat, said his top three priorities are housing; immigration and lowering costs. He said he wants younger generations to be able to afford a home to live in and to reform immigration laws and provide opportunities for certain immigrants to become citizens. He is also interested in getting federal resources to rebuild Los Angeles and keep communities safer while deploying new plans for clean energy to reduce electric bills. 

Levine said the district has about 450,000 registered voters; 80,000 are between the ages of 18 and 30 but in the last election only about 8,000 voted. 

“In order to elect a new generation of leaders that is in touch with the community, that is grounded in the issues that matter most to young people like the affordability issues, like our immigration issues, like rebuilding, like revitalizing the film and television industry, like standing up and fighting against corruption in Washington, we need to elect younger people,” he said. 

He emphasized that younger people have the power to become better leaders when working together and react when their government is not responding to their needs. 

Levine said there should be term and age limits to hold a position as an elected official. These are two different mechanisms that he considers would help bring younger voices into government. 

“And now this isn't just about being younger,” he said. “We need people who know what they're doing, who have a track record, who have demonstrated their ability to lead, and there are some members of Congress who are 75 or 80 years old, and very capable.”

The other candidates running are Democrats Christopher Ahuja, Dory Benami, Anna Wilding, Marena Lin and John Sautter; Douglas Smith (no party preference), and Republican Larry Thompson.