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Jake Rakov, a former aide to Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), has embarked on a primary challenge against his erstwhile employer. In a calculated move, Rakov is leveraging the devastation wrought by the Palisades Fire in a campaign video that accuses Sherman of not fighting hard enough.
“Let’s fight fire with fire,” Rakov declares, in a video that appears to draw a tenuous connection between President Donald Trump, entrepreneur Elon Musk, and the California wildfires. (The video depicts Musk brandishing a flamethrower produced by one of his companies.)
I'm running for Congress against my former boss who's been in office for nearly 30 years. 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. Support our campaign today https://t.co/RoibsVe06A pic.twitter.com/RIODiE4Yuj
— Jake Rakov (@jake_rakov) April 2, 2025
Rakov fails to articulate any clear policy differences from Sherman. Instead, he argues that Sherman has been entrenched in Washington, DC, for too long and claims that the congressman does not spend sufficient time with his constituents in the district, which underwent redistricting in 2022.
Rather than addressing the alleged mismanagement by federal, state, and local authorities that critics claim exacerbated the fire’s damage, Sherman has primarily focused on informing his constituents about avenues for obtaining federal aid for fire victims.
Jake Rakov, a former staffer to Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman, launched a bid Wednesday to oust his one-time boss. https://t.co/ehsf7Nz9C9
— Christopher Cadelago (@ccadelago) April 2, 2025
It remains unclear how Rakov, a resident of Studio City, gained access to the Pacific Palisades to film his campaign video, given that the area is currently restricted to residents, contractors employed by residents, media, and emergency personnel.
While Rakov’s video might strike voters as distasteful in its brazen exploitation of the ruins of a resident’s home for a political advertisement, his pitch is a testament to the potential significance of the fire and its aftermath for California voters in 2026.
