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I'm running for Congress against my former boss, Rep. Brad Sherman, because we can’t keep sending the same people back and expecting a different result. Rep. Sherman has been in Washington for nearly 30 years and has become part of the problem. We need American innovation and new ideas if we're ever going to make Congress work for us.I have a three-part pledge to fix Congress: term limits (House members should serve no more than five terms), rejecting corporate PAC money (campaigns should be funded by people) and hosting monthly in-district town halls (Rep. Sherman hasn't done one in five years).I hope you'll join me in this campaign. You can <a href="https://www.supportcrypto.org/donate/jakerakov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">donate here</a>.

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We'd love to have your help in this campaign. My opponent has been in Washington for nearly 30 years and has raised millions of dollars from corporate PACs who want to keep him in DC, but we will win if we have grassroots support across the 32nd District.Whether you can knock doors, make phone calls, attend events, write letters, talk to your friends, anything, please sign-up to volunteer with us today.

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We need a new generation of Democrats to step up if we want to get anything done in Washington.

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I’m running for Congress in California's 32nd District because we need a new generation of Democrats to step up if we want to get anything done in Washington. We can’t keep sending the same people back and expecting a different result. I'm running against my former boss because the Democrats who have been in Washington for decades got us Trump twice, and the fight for our future is too important to accept the status quo.

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<h2>Growing up my dad taught me that if there wasn’t a good choice available, then I had to work harder and fight to make one.</h2>After graduating from college, I moved to Los Angeles in 2011 and signed with a talent agency to pursue an acting career. Like so many others in the industry, I worked as a bartender in West Hollywood and as a cater waiter working events all over the county. It was through those connections that I got my start in LA politics, on the 2013 mayoral race. I got the chance to meet city leaders, small business owners, and community activists from every corner of the city. For nine months, I started nearly every day at 6am at a coffee shop near the corner of Ventura and Laurel Canyon.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/be3cc962-f7da-4c5f-9edf-76338defe609/64561c66-63a8-432f-aaaa-2334db1c166d/64561c66-63a8-432f-aaaa-2334db1c166d.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C548%2C6000%2C3952&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">After that campaign, I built relationships throughout the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles area through my work with numerous Democratic elected officials and progressive organizations. I’m also a former Steering Committee member of the Los Angeles Stonewall Democratic Club, one of the largest Democratic Clubs in California.Between stints in LA, I worked for Congressman Brad Sherman in Washington, D.C. I was in his office at the beginning of Trump’s first term, and unfortunately the Congressman is still using the same outdated approach that didn’t work back then. I’m running against my former boss because we need a new generation of Democrats in Washington if we want anything to change.My husband Abe and I got married in the 32nd Congressional District in 2023 and live in Studio City with our rescue dog Kip.

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<h3>MY 3-PART PLEDGE</h3><h4>The policies, strategies and tactics of the Democrats who have been in Washington for decades got us Trump twice.</h4>I’m running for Congress on a three-part pledge that any Democrat in the country could adopt today – and if they did, Democrats would get more progressive policies passed in Washington and win more elections across the country.

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<h2>MY 3-PART PLEDGE TO VOTERS</h2><h3>Term limits, rejecting corporate PAC money, and monthly town halls</h3>Here’s how it works: I’ll push for a Constitutional amendment to enact term limits and will only serve five terms because after 10 years every House district should get a new voice in Washington. I won’t take a dollar of corporate PAC money because Congress should put people first. And I’ll hold an in-person town hall in the district once a month because you have to talk to your constituents face to face if you want to represent them.Every member of Congress could make the same pledge today, and if they did, Washington would work for the American people again tomorrow.

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My husband Abe and I got married in the 32nd Congressional District in 2023 and live in Studio City with our rescue dog Kip.

<h2>Growing up my dad taught me that if there wasn’t a good choice available, then I had to work harder and fight to make one.</h2><h3>I’ve spent my career in public service working to give our country and the Democratic Party better choices.</h3><img src="https://run.imgix.net/be3cc962-f7da-4c5f-9edf-76338defe609/ef12b0e5-fbdf-4636-852d-4c8f8b83e710/ef12b0e5-fbdf-4636-852d-4c8f8b83e710.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C4500&amp;w=1500" alt="Jake talking to a family at the park." caption="" align="right" alignwidth="50" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">After graduating from college, I moved to Los Angeles in 2011 and signed with a talent agency to pursue an acting career. Like so many others in the industry, I worked as a bartender in West Hollywood and as a cater waiter working events all over the county. It was through those connections that I got my start in LA politics, on the 2013 mayoral race. I got the chance to meet city leaders, small business owners, and community activists from every corner of the city. For nine months, I started nearly every day at 6am at a coffee shop near the corner of Ventura and Laurel Canyon.After that campaign, I built relationships throughout the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles area through my work with numerous Democratic elected officials and progressive organizations. I’m also a former Steering Committee member of the Los Angeles Stonewall Democratic Club, one of the largest Democratic Clubs in California.Between stints in LA, I worked for Congressman Brad Sherman in Washington, D.C. I was in his office at the beginning of Trump’s first term, and unfortunately the Congressman is still using the same outdated approach that didn’t work back then. I’m running against my former boss because we need a new generation of Democrats in Washington if we want anything to change. You can read my campaign pledge <a href="/pledge" target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

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In Los Angeles, 37-year-old Jake Rakov announced last week that he is running for the seat of his former boss, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-California), 70. His launch video states that “this isn’t mom and dad’s America anymore” and that it’s time for a leader who can fight effectively in “Donald Trump’s MAGA hellscape.”...Rakov, who worked for Sherman in Washington in 2017, said he began thinking more deeply about how aging members of Congress were holding back the Democratic Party as he watched Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D- California) refuse to step aside despite widely acknowledged evidence of cognitive decline. (She died at 90 while in office.)Watching Sherman on television in January, Rakov felt as though he was seeing the congressman use some of the same talking points that he had after Trump’s first victory in 2016.“We’re just regurgitating the same things that he and other people like him have been doing for decades, and all that’s gotten us is Trump twice,” Rakov said in an interview. “So what are we doing here? Nothing is going to change if we keep sending the same Democrats back to D.C.”Read the full article <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/06/young-democrats-age-leadership/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

Watching Sherman on television in January, Rakov felt as though he was seeing the congressman use some of the same talking points that he had after Trump’s first victory in 2016.“We’re just regurgitating the same things that he and other people like him have been doing for decades, and all that’s gotten us is Trump twice,” Rakov said in an interview. “So what are we doing here? Nothing is going to change if we keep sending the same Democrats back to D.C.”

Younger Democrats Want to Force an Uncomfortable Conversation

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Jake Rakov, a former staffer for Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), is seeking to unseat his former boss. Rakov criticized Sherman’s leadership and said the congressman had become disconnected from his constituents. He also noted that Sherman hadn’t hosted a town hall in the last five years. Rakov, 37, said Democrats need a new wave of energy. The candidate has touted his age as an advantage against the 70-year-old representative. Rakov contends that younger Democrats in Congress would offer a fresh legislative perspective.Read the full article <a href="https://punchbowl.news/archive/42625-the-readback/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

Jake Rakov, a former staffer for Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), is seeking to unseat his former boss. Rakov criticized Sherman’s leadership and said the congressman had become disconnected from his constituents. He also noted that Sherman hadn’t hosted a town hall in the last five years. Rakov, 37, said Democrats need a new wave of energy.

Young Democrats taking on the old guard

During his few months as a staffer in Sherman’s office, Rakov said he came to view his boss as someone out of touch with the voters back home, too comfortable with the status quo in Washington. “My experience with working on the Hill for him, [I saw] how stuff actually gets done, and who’s there, and how to really work with other offices. He hasn’t been able to do that,” Rakov said. ...“Looking after Trump won again and seeing [Sherman] use the exact same talking points that I helped draft for him back in 2017 during Trump’s first term, and still have the same mentality about how to communicate on social media and how to advocate, he was still doing the same outdated things,” Rakov said. “This is a guy who is such a shining example of the systematic problems with our party.”“If you give a 30-minute floor speech on Friday afternoon to an empty chamber, and you call that ‘standing up and fighting,’ you are way more out of touch than I even thought,” Rakov added.Read the full article <a href="https://rollcall.com/2025/04/29/former-hill-staffers-take-on-democratic-incumbents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

“Looking after Trump won again and seeing [Sherman] use the exact same talking points that I helped draft for him back in 2017 during Trump’s first term, and still have the same mentality about how to communicate on social media and how to advocate, he was still doing the same outdated things,” Rakov said. “This is a guy who is such a shining example of the systematic problems with our party.”

Former Hill staffers take on incumbents

"The combined force of these two dynamics—Trump’s rising unpopularity and the fecklessness of the Democrats—creates the opportunity for a third force in American politics: a grassroots movement that can take over and reshape the Democratic Party..."You can find the full article <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/save-democratic-party-takeover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

“The combined force of these two dynamics—Trump’s rising unpopularity and the fecklessness of the Democrats—creates the opportunity for a third force in American politics: a grassroots movement that can take over and reshape the Democratic Party…”

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How to Save the Democratic Party From Itself

Jake Rakov, 37, is a primary challenger taking on his former boss -- Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democrat who represents California's 32nd District."I'm running because we do need a new generation of Democrats to step up if we want anything to change in Washington; we cannot keep sending the same both decade after decade, and expecting things to change," Rakov told ABC News in an interview.Rakov worked for Sherman as a deputy communications director in 2017 and since then worked in Los Angeles politics and some campaigns.But he slammed Sherman as ineffective, adding, "He likes to brag about seniority. He has been passed over for leadership positions on his committees ... Seniority doesn't matter if no one is willing to work with you."Read the full article <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/young-democratic-primary-challengers-seek-oust-longtime-house/story?id=121096400" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

Rakov worked for Sherman as a deputy communications director in 2017 and since then worked in Los Angeles politics and some campaigns.But he slammed Sherman as ineffective, adding, "He likes to brag about seniority. He has been passed over for leadership positions on his committees ... Seniority doesn't matter if no one is willing to work with you."

Young Democratic primary challengers seek to oust longtime House members

Jake Rakov, a former aide to Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), on Wednesday announced he is launching a primary challenge against his onetime boss.In a video announcing his campaign, Rakov directly criticized Sherman, who is serving his 15th term in the House, as out of touch with his constituents who want him to take a stronger stand against the Trump administration.“If you want to know why we as Democrats are so bad at fighting back against Trump, look at guys like my former boss,” he said. “Brad Sherman has been in Washington for nearly 30 years, he sold his home in LA and bought a $2 million house in D.C. that he now calls home, and he doesn’t make it back to LA much.”“Congressman Sherman hasn’t held a town hall here in the district in five years. He even bragged about giving speeches to an empty House chamber while his constituents have to fend for themselves after their home is burnt down,” Rakov continued. “If you love Washington that much, there’s no way you’ll be a part of changing it.”Rakov said he was running for Congress to advocate for term limits for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. He said he wouldn’t accept corporate PAC money and would hold monthly town halls with constituents if elected.Rakov served as Sherman’s deputy communications director in 2017.Read the full <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5228400-jake-rakov-primary-brad-sherman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">article</a>.

Jake Rakov, a former aide to Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), on Wednesday announced he is launching a primary challenge against his onetime boss.In a video announcing his campaign, Rakov directly criticized Sherman, who is serving his 15th term in the House, as out of touch with his constituents who want him to take a stronger stand against the Trump administration.

Jake Rakov is launching a primary challenge

"Democrats spent billions of dollars warning American voters that Donald Trump posed an imminent threat to democracy, that his economic policies would benefit only his wealthy friends, that he was literally a fascist.In the end, voters didn’t care — or if they did, it didn’t matter.And now, after Kamala Harris’ decisive loss, Democrats enter a second Trump presidency with no clear leader, no clear plan and no agreement on what caused them to be so wrong about the 2024 election."You can find the full article <a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-trump-harris-election-future-5bf8bd0ca6683119a846abd446544407" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

“Democrats spent billions of dollars warning American voters that Donald Trump posed an imminent threat to democracy, that his economic policies would benefit only his wealthy friends, that he was literally a fascist.&nbsp; In the end, voters didn’t care — or if they did, it didn’t matter.&nbsp; And now, after Kamala Harris’ decisive loss, Democrats enter a second Trump presidency with no clear leader, no clear plan and no agreement on what caused them to be so wrong about the 2024 election.”

Democrats enter a Trump presidency without a plan or a clear leader

STUDIO CITY, Ca. – Jake Rakov today announced that he is running for Congress in California’s 32nd District. Rakov, who previously worked for incumbent Rep. Brad Sherman, is centering his campaign around Democrats needing new leadership in Washington and a three-point pledge to voters.“I’m running for Congress because we need a new generation of Democrats to step up if we want to get anything done in Washington. We can’t keep sending the same people back and expecting a different result,” Rakov said. “I'm going up against my former boss because the Democrats who have been in Washington for decades got us Trump twice, and the fight for our future is too important to sit back and watch them continue to fail us.”&nbsp;Rakov, a former steering committee member of Los Angeles’s Stonewall Democratic Club, worked for Rep. Sherman in his Washington office in 2017 and got his start in politics in LA and the Valley in 2013. He is centering is campaigning on a three-point pledge:&nbsp;<ul><li>Term Limits: He’ll push for a Constitutional amendment to enact term limits and will only serve five terms (10 years).<ul><li>Rep. Sherman will have served 30 years by the end of this term.&nbsp;</li></ul></li><li>No Corporate PAC Money: He won’t accept any corporate PAC contributions to his campaign.<ul><li>Rep. Sherman has taken nearly $2 million in corporate contributions.</li></ul></li><li>In-District Town Halls: He’ll host an in-person town hall in the district every month that he’s in Congress.<ul><li>Rep. Sherman hasn’t hosted an in-person town hall in the district since 2019.&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul>“Every member of Congress could take this same pledge today and Washington would be so much better tomorrow,” Rakov said. “My pledge shouldn’t be revolutionary, but unfortunately Congress has gotten so broken and members like Rep. Sherman have been there so long that they either don’t even see how much of a problem the system they created has become or they did it on purpose to give themselves a lifetime of job security without having to listen to their constituents." You can read more about Rakov’s pledge at <a href="http://jakeforcongress.com/pledge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">jakeforcongress.com/pledge</a> and learn more about why he’s running by watching his launch video <a href="https://youtu.be/3RIgBmUSTs8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.Jake Rakov lives in Studio City with his husband Abe Rakov and their rescue dog Kip. Jake and Abe were married in the 32nd District in 2023.

STUDIO CITY, Ca. – Jake Rakov today announced that he is running for Congress in California’s 32nd District. Rakov, who previously worked for incumbent Rep. Brad Sherman, is centering his campaign around Democrats needing new leadership in Washington and a three-point pledge to voters.

Jake Rakov Announces Run for Congress

Many of those candidates are making cases for generational change.“It is about needing new energy in Congress to actually meet the moment where we are,” said 37-year-old Jake Rakov, who is challenging his former boss, 15-term Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman of California. “We just need people who are more active communicators, who can move the party into the 21st century and don’t operate like it’s 1996.”Read the full article <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/01/politics/democrats-incumbents-challenge-party-divide" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

Many of those candidates are making cases for generational change.“It is about needing new energy in Congress to actually meet the moment where we are,” said 37-year-old Jake Rakov, who is challenging his former boss, 15-term Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman of California. “We just need people who are more active communicators, who can move the party into the 21st century and don’t operate like it’s 1996.”

Young Democrats challenge longtime incumbents as party grapples with generational divide

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) is headed for a competitive primary election next year after his former congressional staffer Jake Rakov launched a primary challenge on Wednesday. “I’m running for Congress against my former boss who’s been in office for nearly 30 years,” Rakov, 37, said on social media. “It’s time for a new generation of Democrats to step up. We can’t keep sending the same people to DC and expecting things to change.”Read the full article <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/3367603/former-brad-sherman-staffer-jake-rakov-launches-primary-bid-congress-california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) is headed for a competitive primary election next year after his former congressional staffer Jake Rakov launched a primary challenge on Wednesday.“I’m running for Congress against my former boss who’s been in office for nearly 30 years,” Rakov,&nbsp;37, said on social media. “It’s time for a new generation of Democrats to step up. We can’t keep sending the same people to DC and expecting things to change.”

‘A new generation of Democrats’

Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/09/gaza-militant-group-congress-eyes-sanctions" target="_self" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Brad Sherman</a> (D-Calif.) is the latest House Democrat facing a younger primary insurgent — in this case, his 37-year-old former aide.Why it matters: The challenge to Sherman, 70, comes as Democrats are <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/25/house-democrats-jeffries-pelosi-primary-challenge" target="_self" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">bracing for a deluge of primary fights</a> driven by grassroots anger towards the party establishment. ...Driving the news: Jake Rakov, a onetime deputy communications director for Sherman, launched his candidacy Wednesday morning with a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RIgBmUSTs8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">video</a> in which he ripped his ex-boss. His candidacy was first reported by Politico.<ul><li>"If you want to know why we as Democrats are so bad at fighting back against Trump, look at guys like my former boss," Rakov said.</li><li>Citing Sherman's nearly 30-year tenure in Congress, Rakov said he is running on a 10-year congressional term limit — as well as pledges that he will hold town halls in the district and won't take corporate PAC money.</li></ul>Zoom out: Rakov's challenge comes as the liberal grassroots are in virtually open rebellion against their party's leadership.<ul><li>Tensions within the party erupted last month after some Senate Democrats voted to pass Republicans' government funding bill rather than use it as leverage.</li><li>Democrats across the country have faced <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/21/democrats-house-senate-tea-party-trump" target="_self" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">heated town hall audiences</a> and low approval ratings among members of their own party.</li></ul>Read the full article <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/02/brad-sherman-rakov-democrat-primary-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

Jake Rakov, a onetime deputy communications director for Sherman, launched his candidacy Wednesday morning with a video in which he ripped his ex-boss. His candidacy was first reported by Politico. "If you want to know why we as Democrats are so bad at fighting back against Trump, look at guys like my former boss," Rakov said.

Another older House Democrat gets a primary challenger

A former deputy communications director to 70-year-old Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) announced Wednesday that he’s seeking to dethrone his former boss. “If you want to know why we as Democrats are so bad at fighting back against Trump, look at guys like my former boss,” 37-year-old Jake Rakov, who worked for Sherman in 2017, said in a two-minute campaign announcement video.Using the Southern California wildfires as a metaphor throughout his video, Rakov claimed that President Donald Trump’s administration is “burning our government to the ground.” He also insisted that it’s time to fight fire with fire.Rakov made three promises in his campaign video: to seek 10-year term limits for Congress, to not accept corporate PAC money and to host monthly in-person town halls for California constituents.He also directly slammed Sherman, a 15-term congressman who has held office since 1997, for his handling of the wildfires, for being out of touch with constituents, for staying in office for so long and for selling his Los Angeles home to live in Washington, D.C.Read the full <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-longtime-house-democrat-is-getting-challenged-by-his-former-aide_n_67ed82cbe4b0b937ab8f5c97?ncid=NEWSSTAND0001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">article</a>.

Rakov made three promises in his campaign video: to seek 10-year term limits for Congress, to not accept corporate PAC money and to host monthly in-person town halls for California constituents.

A Longtime House Democrat Is Getting Challenged

“After Trump’s win, Democrats did a great deal of hand-wringing about what went wrong, but they don’t seem to have learned much. Their inability to find their footing was on painful display during last night’s non–State of the Union address. Not only could Democrats not figure out an effective response to Trump’s speech; they couldn’t even settle on one or two ineffective responses.”You can find the full article <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/03/the-democrats-disjointed-rebellion/681932/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

“After Trump’s win, Democrats did a great deal of hand-wringing about what went wrong, but they don’t seem to have learned much. Their inability to find their footing was on painful display during last night’s non–State of the Union address. Not only could Democrats not figure out an effective response to Trump’s speech; they couldn’t even settle on one or two ineffective responses.”

The Democrats’ ‘No We Can’t’ Strategy

Sherman on Wednesday became the latest House Democrat to find himself facing a primary challenge, from his 37-year-old former aide Jake Rakov, Politico reported.Sherman, 70, represents parts of Los Angeles County, including some of the areas ravaged by wildfires earlier this year.

List of House Democrats Facing Primary Challenges

Jake Rakov, a former staffer to Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), is launching a bid Wednesday to oust his one-time boss. Rakov, 37, is part of a string of Democrats waging intra-party battles against a long-time House incumbents by calling for a generational change in leadership.Standing in front of a Los Angeles structure decimated by wildfire, Rakov used <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RIgBmUSTs8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">a 2.5-minute long launch video</a> to blast Sherman, 70, as out of touch with his constituents and unwilling to mount a meaningful resistance against President Donald Trump’s “MAGA hellscape.”“He and people like him, who have stayed on for so long, who don’t even check into the district anymore,” Rakov said in an interview with POLITICO, “are why we have Trump twice, and why our party is so bad at fighting back against him now.”Read the full story <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/02/former-aide-challenges-brad-sherman-00265558" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

Jake Rakov, a former staffer to Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), is launching a bid Wednesday to oust his one-time boss. Rakov, 37, is part of a string of Democrats waging intra-party battles against a long-time House incumbents by calling for a generational change in leadership. ... Rakov served as Sherman’s deputy communications director in 2017. He is active in the LGBTQ+ community in the district and sat on the steering committee for Los Angeles’ Stonewall Democratic Club.

Jake Rakov is running against his ex-boss

Voters still have a sour view of Democrats six weeks after President Donald Trump and Republicans swept into Washington with control of all branches of the federal government, according to a new poll. A plurality of voters — 40 percent — said the Democratic Party doesn’t have any strategy whatsoever for responding to Trump, according to the survey by the liberal firm Blueprint that was shared first with POLITICO. Another 24 percent said Democrats have a game plan, but it’s a bad one.You can find the full article <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/06/poll-democrats-trump-disarray-00215291" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

“Voters still have a sour view of Democrats six weeks after President Donald Trump and Republicans swept into Washington with control of all branches of the federal government, according to a new poll.&nbsp; A plurality of voters — 40 percent — said the Democratic Party doesn’t have any strategy whatsoever for responding to Trump, according to the survey by the liberal firm Blueprint that was shared first with POLITICO. Another 24 percent said Democrats have a game plan, but it’s a bad one.”

Insider poll: The Democratic Party has ‘lost its way’

STUDIO CITY, Ca. – Jake Rakov today announced that he is running for Congress in California’s 32nd District. Rakov, who previously worked for incumbent Rep. Brad Sherman, is centering his campaign around Democrats needing new leadership in Washington and a three-point pledge to voters.“I’m running for Congress because we need a new generation of Democrats to step up if we want to get anything done in Washington. We can’t keep sending the same people back and expecting a different result,” Rakov said. “I'm going up against my former boss because the Democrats who have been in Washington for decades got us Trump twice, and the fight for our future is too important to sit back and watch them continue to fail us.”Rakov, a former steering committee member of Los Angeles’s Stonewall Democratic Club, worked for Rep. Sherman in his Washington office in 2017 and got his start in politics in LA and the Valley in 2013. He is centering is campaigning on a three-point pledge: <ol><li>Term Limits: He’ll push for a Constitutional amendment to enact term limits and will serve no more than five terms (10 years).<ol><li>Rep. Sherman will have served 30 years by the end of this term.&nbsp;</li></ol></li><li>No Corporate PAC Money: He won’t accept any corporate PAC contributions to his campaign.&nbsp;<ol><li>Rep. Sherman has taken nearly $2 million in corporate contributions.</li></ol></li><li>In-District Town Halls: He’ll host an in-person town hall in the district every month that he’s in Congress.&nbsp;<ol><li>Rep. Sherman <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/10uXsnVPpABu7HcKOLMMLeDWSScGS1H3d/view?pli=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">hasn’t hosted an in-person town hall</a> in the district since 2019. </li></ol></li></ol>“Every member of Congress could take this same pledge today and Washington would be so much better tomorrow,” Rakov said. “My pledge shouldn’t be revolutionary, but unfortunately Congress has gotten so broken and members like Rep. Sherman have been there so long that they either don’t even see how much of a problem the system they created has become or they did it on purpose to give themselves a lifetime of job security without having to listen to their constituents."You can read more about Rakov’s pledge at <a href="http://jakeforcongress.com/pledge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">jakeforcongress.com/pledge</a> and learn more about why he’s running by watching his launch video <a href="https://youtu.be/3RIgBmUSTs8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.Jake Rakov lives in Studio City with his husband Abe Rakov and their rescue dog Kip. Jake and Abe were married in the 32nd District in 2023.

Jake Rakov Announces He's Running for Congress

<span class="image video image-center" data-embed="<iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/LuthQ48MLXg?si=dPAuc76c9JITNFrc&quot; title=&quot;YouTube video player&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allow=&quot;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&quot; referrerpolicy=&quot;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&quot; allowfullscreen></iframe>" style="width: 80%;"><img imageurl="https://run.imgix.net/be3cc962-f7da-4c5f-9edf-76338defe609/8c0abd26-89d9-4fb2-a322-7aa9ee83e62c/8c0abd26-89d9-4fb2-a322-7aa9ee83e62c.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1206%2C671&amp;w=1500" embedcode="<iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/LuthQ48MLXg?si=dPAuc76c9JITNFrc&quot; title=&quot;YouTube video player&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allow=&quot;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&quot; referrerpolicy=&quot;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&quot; allowfullscreen></iframe>" caption="" align="center" alignwidth="40" src="https://run.imgix.net/be3cc962-f7da-4c5f-9edf-76338defe609/8c0abd26-89d9-4fb2-a322-7aa9ee83e62c/8c0abd26-89d9-4fb2-a322-7aa9ee83e62c.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1206%2C671&amp;w=1500" data-embed="<iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/LuthQ48MLXg?si=dPAuc76c9JITNFrc&quot; title=&quot;YouTube video player&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allow=&quot;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&quot; referrerpolicy=&quot;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&quot; allowfullscreen></iframe>"><span class="video-button-placeholder" data-embed="<iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/LuthQ48MLXg?si=dPAuc76c9JITNFrc&quot; title=&quot;YouTube video player&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allow=&quot;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&quot; referrerpolicy=&quot;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&quot; allowfullscreen></iframe>">This week, 37-year-old Jake Rakov launched a primary challenge to 15-term California Congressman Brad Sherman (D). The challenge, made even more interesting given that Rakov once served as Deputy Communications Director for Sherman. Fresh off his campaign launch, Rakov joins Cher Calvin and Micah Ohlman to discuss his campaign, his priorities, and the changing of the Democratic guard in the face of the Trump presidency. Watch the interview <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuthQ48MLXg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

This week, 37-year-old Jake Rakov launched a primary challenge to 15-term California Congressman Brad Sherman (D). The challenge, made even more interesting given that Rakov once served as Deputy Communications Director for Sherman. Fresh off his campaign launch, Rakov joins Cher Calvin and Micah Ohlman to discuss his campaign, his priorities, and the changing of the Democratic guard in the face of the Trump presidency.

Jake Rakov launches primary challenge

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As Democratic voters say their party needs to change and young voters grow more skeptical of traditional party politics, a crop of candidates in their 20s and 30s is stepping in to challenge older Democrats for their seats in Congress.The primary challengers stepping up against veteran Democrats in recent months are emphasizing young-voter issues and railing against the ways they feel the Democratic Party has failed — from how it’s pushed back on President Donald Trump’s early actions to addressing the rising cost of living....Rakov, who was a staffer for Sherman in 2017, said after Trump took office in January, he saw Sherman making TV appearances using similar messaging and “doing the exact same thing” as he did in Trump’s first term. He said that’s when he knew he had to run.“I was like, ‘This is exactly what’s wrong with the Democratic Party,’” Rakov said. “If we keep going down this road, it’s gotten us Trump twice. I don’t want to think about what it’s going to get us next time if we don’t change route.”Rakov said Democrats are currently “flat-footed” in their approach to voters and are failing to match the energy and anger from their base as constituents are negatively impacted by the Trump administration. He said he thinks Democrats have gotten “stuck in their talking points” instead of having candid conversations with constituents about the issues affecting them, and he charged Sherman with being absent from his district in recent months.Rakov said his challenge to Sherman isn’t based on ideological or even generational differences.“There’s nothing about an age,” Rakov said. “This isn’t a generational argument, but this is about needing to actually get new energy and new voices into Congress on a regular basis. Congress was never meant to be a career.”Read the full article <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/young-voters-indignation-older-leaders-spurs-democratic-primary-challe-rcna200620" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

Rakov, who was a staffer for Sherman in 2017, said after Trump took office in January, he saw Sherman making TV appearances using similar messaging and “doing the exact same thing” as he did in Trump’s first term. He said that’s when he knew he had to run.“I was like, ‘This is exactly what’s wrong with the Democratic Party,’” Rakov said. “If we keep going down this road, it’s gotten us Trump twice. I don’t want to think about what it’s going to get us next time if we don’t change route.”

Democratic voters say their party needs to change

Jake Rakov wants to represent District 32 in the US Congress, with includes the Pacific Palisades. He is challenging 15-term incumbent Brad Sherman.Watch the full segment on Fox 11 Los Angeles <a href="https://www.foxla.com/video/1621202" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

Jake Rakov wants to represent District 32 in the US Congress, with includes the Pacific Palisades. He is challenging 15-term incumbent Brad Sherman.

Jake Rakov launches congressional campaign

STUDIO CITY, Ca. – Jake Rakov today announced that he is running for Congress in California’s 32nd District. Rakov, who previously worked for incumbent Rep. Brad Sherman, is centering his campaign around Democrats needing new leadership in Washington and a three-point pledge to voters.“I’m running for Congress because we need a new generation of Democrats to step up if we want to get anything done in Washington. We can’t keep sending the same people back and expecting a different result,” Rakov said. “I'm going up against my former boss because the Democrats who have been in Washington for decades got us Trump twice, and the fight for our future is too important to sit back and watch them continue to fail us.”&nbsp;Rakov, a former steering committee member of Los Angeles’s Stonewall Democratic Club, worked for Rep. Sherman in his Washington office in 2017 and got his start in politics in LA and the Valley in 2013. He is centering is campaigning on a three-point pledge:&nbsp;<ol><li>Term Limits: He’ll push for a Constitutional amendment to enact term limits and will only serve five terms (10 years). <ul><li>Rep. Sherman will have served 30 years by the end of this term.&nbsp;</li></ul></li><li>No Corporate PAC Money: He won’t accept any corporate PAC contributions to his campaign.&nbsp;<ul><li>Rep. Sherman has taken nearly $2 million in corporate contributions.</li></ul></li><li>In-District Town Halls: He’ll host an in-person town hall in the district every month that he’s in Congress.&nbsp;<ul><li>Rep. Sherman hasn’t hosted an in-person town hall in the district since 2019.&nbsp; </li></ul></li></ol>“Every member of Congress could take this same pledge today and Washington would be so much better tomorrow,” Rakov said. “My pledge shouldn’t be revolutionary, but unfortunately Congress has gotten so broken and members like Rep. Sherman have been there so long that they either don’t even see how much of a problem the system they created has become or they did it on purpose to give themselves a lifetime of job security without having to listen to their constituents."You can read more about Rakov’s pledge at <a href="http://jakeforcongress.com/pledge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">jakeforcongress.com/pledge</a> and learn more about why he’s running by watching his launch video <a href="https://youtu.be/3RIgBmUSTs8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.Jake Rakov lives in Studio City with his husband Abe Rakov and their rescue dog Kip. Jake and Abe were married in the 32nd District in 2023.

STUDIO CITY, Ca. – Jake Rakov today announced that he is running for Congress in California’s 32nd District. Rakov, who previously worked for incumbent Rep. Brad Sherman, is centering his campaign around Democrats needing new leadership in Washington and a three-point pledge to voters.

Many members of Congress don't face competitive primaries, but that's not stopping some going after longtime incumbents in safe blue districts. Here's NPR's Elena Moore.ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Around the country, a growing group of Democrats in their 20s and 30s are launching campaigns for Congress, and their announcements have a shared theme.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)GEORGE HORNEDO: These do-nothing Democrats? It's time for leadership that puts the people first.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)JAKE RAKOV: Democrats in Washington need backbone, courage, innovation and, yes, some fire in their belly.MOORE: Their goal - unseating Democratic incumbents in the House of Representatives and replacing them with new voices. California's Jake Rakov is one of those candidates. The 37-year-old political strategist is running to represent the state's 32nd Congressional District, part of Los Angeles County. He's challenging 14-term incumbent Brad Sherman, who Rakov worked for in 2017.RAKOV: It's not an age thing. I think it's become an age thing just because the people who have been there for so long are now in their 60s, 70s and 80s. I would love to go back and ask him at 40, do you think you'll still be doing this at 70? And I'd love to hear that answer 'cause I - honestly, I don't think he would say yes.Listen to the full story or read the transcript <a href="https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5339833" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

Their goal - unseating Democratic incumbents in the House of Representatives and replacing them with new voices. California's Jake Rakov is one of those candidates. The 37-year-old political strategist is running to represent the state's 32nd Congressional District, part of Los Angeles County. He's challenging 14-term incumbent Brad Sherman, who Rakov worked for in 2017.

The next AOC? Young Democrats are aiming to topple incumbents inside their own party

The intergenerational infighting amongst Democrats has come to Los Angeles County.Jake Rakov, a former staffer to Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, will run against his ex-boss for California’s 32nd Congressional District seat when the current officeholder is up for reelection next year.The 37-year-old candidate says it’s time for long-serving members of Congress to step aside and allow a new generation of Democrats to lead.Sherman, 70, will have served for 30 years by the time his current term ends next year. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 — shortly before Rakov’s ninth birthday....“Unfortunately, Congress has gotten so broken, and members like Rep. Sherman have been there so long that they either don’t even see how much of a problem the system they created has become or they did it on purpose to give themselves a lifetime of job security without having to listen to their constituents,” he said.Read the full article <a href="https://www.dailynews.com/2025/04/04/election-2026-jake-rakov-challenges-ex-boss-rep-brad-sherman-for-house-seat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

The intergenerational infighting amongst Democrats has come to Los Angeles County.Jake Rakov, a former staffer to Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, will run against his ex-boss for California’s 32nd Congressional District seat when the current officeholder is up for reelection next year.

Jake Rakov challenges ex-boss

“Too many on our team just don’t have the fight we need right now,” said Jake Rakov, a 37-year-old former congressional staffer who is mounting a primary challenge to his onetime boss, 70-year-old Rep. Brad Sherman (D., Calif.). ... Age is a bigger headache for Democrats than Republicans for one central reason: Democrats have a lot more old members. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have similar median ages. But of the 20 oldest House members elected in 2024, 16 were Democrats. In the Senate, where tensions over age are more subdued, nearly all the oldest senators—11 of the 14 who were older than 75 at the start of this Congress—were Democrats.Read the full article <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/house-democrats-are-having-a-public-fight-about-their-oldest-lawmakers-d99519c1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

“Too many on our team just don’t have the fight we need right now,” said Jake Rakov, a 37-year-old former congressional staffer who is mounting a primary challenge to his onetime boss, 70-year-old Rep. Brad Sherman (D., Calif.).

House Democrats Are Having a Public Fight About Their Oldest Lawmakers

Alex Wagner: That voice was Jake Rakov in his first ad launching his campaign for Congress. Rakov is running to represent California’s 32nd District in the House of Representatives, a seat that is currently occupied by 15-term incumbent Democrat Brad Sherman, whom Jake Rakov used to work for as a deputy communications secretary back in 2017. I talked to Rakov to discuss why he felt the need to challenge his former boss and what Democrats, in general, are doing wrong.Alex Wagner: So, you got, like, a missile of a campaign launch video. And let me just first start, like, why run against your former boss?&nbsp;Listen to the podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-move-dems/id1638974657?i=1000704787886" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>. Read the transcript <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-podcast/trumpland/trumpland-move-dems-rcna203065" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

Rakov is running to represent California’s 32nd District in the House of Representatives, a seat that is currently occupied by 15-term incumbent Democrat Brad Sherman, whom Jake Rakov used to work for as a deputy communications secretary back in 2017. I talked to Rakov to discuss why he felt the need to challenge his former boss and what Democrats, in general, are doing wrong.

Your Move, Dems

Rep. Sherman kept nearly $4 million in his campaign account in 2024 rather than giving it to Democratic candidates that needed it From <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/01/politics/democrats-incumbents-challenge-party-divide" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNN</a> today: “Sherman, as well as other critics of the primary efforts, argue that Democrats could jeopardize their chances of retaking the House if they have to direct resources toward defending party members, and that incumbents in safe seats would have to spend money on themselves that could go toward flipping GOP-held seats.” The Facts:&nbsp; <ul><li>In his 2024 year end <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00308742/1869480/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a>, Brad Sherman had $3,921,944.70 cash on hand.</li><li>CA-32 is a <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/cook-pvi/2025-partisan-voting-index/district-map-and-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safe Democratic district</a> and Rep. Sherman’s past two GOP opponents raised just <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/elections/house/CA/32/2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$140,107.71</a> and <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/elections/house/CA/32/2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$53,589.76</a> for their entire campaigns.&nbsp;</li></ul> “Instead of doing everything possible to stop Donald Trump from becoming president and helping Democrats win the House, Brad Sherman selfishly sat on nearly $4 million last year. He doesn’t represent a competitive district, but he kept the money to try and make sure someone like me would be too intimidated to run against him this cycle,” said Jake Rakov, a former staffer of Rep. Sherman who is now running against him. “Rep. Sherman says Democratic primaries are taking resources away from winning back the House, but he’s Exhibit A for why we lost: Too many long-serving Democrats in Washington care more about keeping their jobs than anything else. He deserves to be fired.” To learn more about Jake’s campaign visit <a href="http://www.JakeForCongress.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.JakeForCongress.com</a>.&nbsp;

“Instead of doing everything possible to stop Donald Trump from becoming president and helping Democrats win the House, Brad Sherman selfishly sat on nearly $4 million last year. He doesn’t represent a competitive district, but he kept the money to try and make sure someone like me would be too intimidated to run against him this cycle,” said Jake Rakov, a former staffer of Rep. Sherman who is now running against him.

Brad Sherman, Not Primaries, Is the Problem for Democrats

"As Democrats face the reality of President Trump’s second term, they share a fundamental belief: This moment calls for an inspirational message from their party. They just cannot decide what, exactly, that should be. In private meetings and at public events, elected Democrats appear leaderless, rudderless and divided. They disagree over how often and how stridently to oppose Mr. Trump. They have no shared understanding of why they lost the election, never mind how they can win in the future."You can find the full article <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/us/politics/democrats-trump.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

“More than 50 interviews with Democratic leaders revealed a party struggling to decide what it believes in, what issues to prioritize and how to confront an aggressive right-wing administration.”

‘We Have No Coherent Message’: Democrats Struggle to Oppose Trump

"The Democratic Party has reached an all-time low in popularity in the latest national NBC News poll, as it searches for a path forward after a painful loss to President Donald Trump — and as the party’s voters spoil for a fight between their leaders in Washington and Trump. Just over a quarter of registered voters (27%) say they have positive views of the party, which is the party’s lowest positive rating in NBC News polling dating back to 1990. Just 7% say those views are “very” positive. 'With these numbers, the Democratic Party is not in need of a rebrand. It needs to be rebooted,' said Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates, who conducted the survey along with GOP pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies."

"The Democratic Party has reached an all-time low in popularity in the latest national NBC News poll, as it searches for a path forward after a painful loss to President Donald Trump — and as the party’s voters spoil for a fight between their leaders in Washington and Trump."

Democratic Party hits new polling low, while its voters want to fight Trump harder

“We’re both progressive Democrats, and I’m sure we’ll find daylight on a few things here and there,” Rakov said, “but I think this is much more about being a better member of Congress and actually doing what needs to be done in this moment in time.”He acknowledged the recent launches by Abughazaleh and Chakrabarti. Asked about comparisons some have made of Democratic Party challenges to the tea party movement of 2010, Rakov said: “That’d be great. It’d be cool if we could have that big national moment from a political science perspective.”But, he joked, that Fox News would likely dub it the “Latte Party” — an apparent reference to the party’s traction with college-educated voters. Read the full article <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/09/democrats-age-primary-campaigns-032542" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

“We’re both progressive Democrats, and I’m sure we’ll find daylight on a few things here and there,” Rakov said, “but I think this is much more about being a better member of Congress and actually doing what needs to be done in this moment in time.”

New wave of Democratic primary challengers

Jake is running for Congress because we need a new generation of Democrats to step up if we want to get anything done in Washington.