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Robert Hertzberg
Robert Hertzberg (Democratic Party) was a member of the California State Senate, representing District 18. He assumed office on December 1, 2014. He left office on December 5, 2022.
Hertzberg ran for election to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to represent District 3 in California. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Hertzberg served as state Senate majority leader from 2019 to 2022.[1]
Hertzberg previously served in the California State Assembly and held the position of Speaker of the House.
Biography
Hertzberg's professional experience includes working for Think Long Committee for California, as a Partner in the law firm of Mayer Brown and serving on the board of the Center for Governmental Studies.
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2021-2022
Hertzberg was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Natural Resources and Water Committee
- Legislative Audit Committee
- Rules Committee, Vice Chair
- Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee
- Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee
- Governance and Finance Committee
2019-2020
Hertzberg was assigned to the following committees:
- Legislative Audit Committee
- Rules Committee
- Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee
- Governance and Finance Committee
- Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee
- Natural Resources and Water Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| California committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Elections and Constitutional Amendments |
| • Energy, Utilities and Communications |
| • Governance and Finance |
| • Judiciary |
| • Natural Resources and Water, Chair |
| • Arts |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Hertzberg served on the following committees:
| California committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Elections and Constitutional Amendments |
| • Energy, Utilities and Communications |
| • Governance and Finance, Chair |
| • Judiciary |
| • Natural Resources and Water |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2022
Board of Supervisors
See also: Municipal elections in Los Angeles County, California (2022)
General election
General election for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors District 3
Lindsey Horvath defeated Robert Hertzberg in the general election for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors District 3 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Lindsey Horvath (Nonpartisan) | 53.0 | 258,315 | |
 | Robert Hertzberg (Nonpartisan) | 47.0 | 229,358 | |
| Total votes: 487,673 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors District 3
The following candidates ran in the primary for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors District 3 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Hertzberg (Nonpartisan) | 31.1 | 105,923 |
| ✔ | Lindsey Horvath (Nonpartisan) | 27.7 | 94,528 | |
 | Henry Stern (Nonpartisan) | 24.3 | 82,852 | |
 | Jeffi Girgenti (Nonpartisan) | 8.0 | 27,382 | |
 | Roxanne Beckford Hoge (Nonpartisan) | 6.6 | 22,352 | |
| Craig A. Brill (Nonpartisan) | 2.3 | 7,743 | ||
| Total votes: 340,780 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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State Senate
- See also: California State Senate elections, 2022
Robert Hertzberg was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.
2018
- See also: California State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for California State Senate District 18
Incumbent Robert Hertzberg defeated Rudy Melendez in the general election for California State Senate District 18 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Hertzberg (D) | 78.1 | 195,623 |
 | Rudy Melendez (R) | 21.9 | 54,888 | |
| Total votes: 250,511 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California State Senate District 18
Incumbent Robert Hertzberg and Rudy Melendez defeated Roger James Sayegh and Brandon Saario in the primary for California State Senate District 18 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Hertzberg (D) | 66.3 | 72,462 |
| ✔ | | Rudy Melendez (R) | 11.5 | 12,564 |
 | Roger James Sayegh (D) | 11.2 | 12,238 | |
 | Brandon Saario (R) | 11.0 | 12,048 | |
| Total votes: 109,312 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
- See also: California State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the California State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 7, 2014. Bob Hertzberg (D) and Ricardo Antonio Benitez (R) defeated John P. "Jack" Lindblad (G) in the blanket primary. Hertzberg defeated Benitez in the general election.[2][3][4]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Bob Hertzberg |
70.2% | 79,495 | |
| Republican | Ricardo Antonio Benitez | 29.8% | 33,794 | |
| Total Votes | 113,289 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Bob Hertzberg |
63.1% | 35,338 | |
| Republican | Ricardo Antonio Benitez |
29.1% | 16,289 | |
| Green | John P. Lindblad | 7.8% | 4,392 | |
| Total Votes | 56,019 | |||
Endorsements
In 2014, Hertzberg's endorsements included the following:[5]
- Former Assemblyman and Majority Leader Dario Frommer
- Attorney & Businessman David Fleming
- Former L.A. City Controller Laura Chick
- U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
- Congressman Tony Cardenas
- Congresswoman Karen Bass
- Congresswoman Judy Chu
- Congressman Juan Vargas
- Congressman Brad Sherman
- Congressman Howard Berman (ret)
- Congresswoman Diane Watson (ret)
- California Governor Gray Davis (ret)
- California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom
- California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
- California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer
- California Attorney General (ret) and L.A. District Attorney John Van De Kamp (ret)
- California State Board of Equalization Chair Jerome Horton
- California State Controller Steve Westly (ret)
- State Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg
- State Senate President pro Tem David Roberti (ret)
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Robert Hertzberg did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of California scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2022
In 2022, the California State Legislature was in session from January 3 to August 31.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on the association's position legislation.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the chamber.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to labor.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on issues pertaining to children.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on LGBT issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to the interests of health care consumers.
- Legislators are scored on how they voted on taxpayer-related issues.
- Legislators are scored on issues related to sexual and reproductive health.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on issues related to sexual and reproductive health.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental policy.
- Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the interests of home care providers.
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2021, the California State Legislature was in session from December 7 to September 10.
|
2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2020, the California State Legislature was in session from January 6 to August 31.
|
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2019, the California State Legislature was in session from January 7 through September 13.
|
2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the California State Legislature was in session from January 3, 2018 through August 31, 2018.
|
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the California State Legislature was in session from December 5, 2016 through September 15, 2017.
|
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2016, the California State Legislature was in session from January 4 through August 31. The formal session ended on August 31, but constitutionally the session adjourned sine die on November 30.
|
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the California State Legislature was in session from December 1, 2014, through September 12, 2015.
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Noteworthy events
Named in legislative report on sexual harassment cases (2018)
On February 2, 2018, the California Legislature released details on 18 alleged cases of sexual harassment involving state legislators and senior staffers that occurred from 2006 through 2017. The released cases involved incidents where "discipline has been imposed or allegations have been determined to be well-founded."
Hertzberg was among the legislators mentioned in the cases. In 2015, a staffer had complained about an instance where she said Hertzberg pulled her close to him and then began to dance and sing in a way that made her uncomfortable. In response, he said, "I hug people as a way to connect. It's never meant as anything other than a gesture of warmth and humanity. This instance, a settled matter from several years ago, involves a single hug with a family member of someone I knew, and I'm sorry to her and anyone else who may have ever felt my hugs unwelcome."[6]
Former Assemblywoman Linda Halderman (R) also complained about Hertzberg's hugs, prompting the state Senate to open an investigation into his behavior in December 2017. According to the Los Angeles Times, Hertzberg is known as "Huggy Bear" at the state capitol due to his frequent embraces.[7]
See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors District 3 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ The Press Democrat, "Mike McGuire named California Senate majority leader," January 19, 2022
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2014 Primary election candidate list," accessed March 27, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed July 15, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official general election results," accessed December 14, 2014
- ↑ hertzbergforsenate.com, "Endorsements," accessed May 2, 2014
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "California Legislature releases a decade's worth of records on sexual harassment investigations," February 2, 2018
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Sen. Bob Hertzberg will cooperate with investigation into unwanted hugs," December 14, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
California State Senate District 18 2014-2022 |
Succeeded by Steve Padilla (D) |
| Preceded by - |
California State Assembly District 40 1997-2000 |
Succeeded by - |
 |
State of California Sacramento (capital) |
|---|---|
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