Marc Berman was raised in Palo Alto, where he graduated from Palo Alto High School and served as student body president; he later served on the Palo Alto City Council and has served in the California State Assembly since 2016. A lawyer, he represents the 23rd Assembly District, encompassing parts of the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley. He is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus and has taken a pro-housing position that contrasts with the approach of other Palo Alto politicians. His enacted legislation has also addressed manipulated political media and California’s recall process. His record includes both housing policy and rules governing elections and recalls.
BACKGROUND AND FORMATION
Berman was born in Dallas on Oct. 31, 1980, and raised in Palo Alto. At Palo Alto High School, he served as student body president. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Georgetown University in 2002 and later a law degree from the USC Gould School of Law.
While in college, Berman worked in Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s office and as an analyst in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. After law school, he practiced at Latham & Watkins and Merino Yebri, LLP.
His legal work included pro bono representation for clients seeking protection under the Violence Against Women Act and for people seeking asylum from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His education and work also included political science, law school, a congressional office, the Justice Department and two law firms. Berman is Jewish.
THE CAREER
Berman served on the Palo Alto City Council before his election to the Assembly. He has remained in the Legislature since 2016 and represents a district encompassing parts of the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley.
During the redistricting cycle following the 2020 census, Berman and fellow Assemblymember Evan Low were drawn into the same district. Low moved to a neighboring district, averting a primary between the two incumbents. Berman continued representing the 23rd District.
His legislative work has included rules for campaigns and elections. In 2019, he introduced legislation to ban the knowing and malicious distribution of manipulated videos and pictures, commonly called “deepfakes,” that falsely depict the acts or words of a political candidate within 60 days of an election, unless the material includes a disclaimer disclosing that it contains manipulated content. The measure passed the Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In 2022, Berman introduced AB 2584, changing California’s recall process. The governor signed it that September. The law raised the number of signatures required on a notice of intention to recall, required public inspection of recall petitions during the 10-day period in which the election office determines whether a petition can be approved for circulation, and allowed a recall election to be consolidated with a regular election scheduled within 180 days after the petition qualified for the ballot.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Berman has supported policies intended to encourage housing production in response to California’s housing shortage. His stance contrasts with that of other politicians from Palo Alto who favor policies that slow housing production. He served on the Palo Alto City Council before being elected to the Assembly.
His legislative work also includes measures concerning the terms under which political contests are conducted. The 2019 deepfakes law addressed knowingly and maliciously distributed manipulated images and videos that falsely depict a political candidate’s acts or words within 60 days of an election, while providing an exception for material accompanied by a manipulation disclaimer. AB 2584 raised the signature threshold for a notice of intention to recall, required public inspection of recall petitions during the approval period and allowed recall elections to be consolidated with certain regular elections.
AB 2584 was cited in a city dispute in 2023. That May, the Yucaipa city clerk filed a lawsuit seeking to remove statements described as false from a citizen-initiated petition to recall the mayor and two City Council members. The clerk cited state law, including AB 2584, as allowing the removal of false or misleading statements. The city later offered the recall proponents a settlement to dismiss the lawsuit, but the proposal was rejected in September.
Berman’s documented record includes support for policies intended to encourage housing production, legislation governing manipulated campaign media, and changes to recall notices, petition inspection and election scheduling.
- State Assembly · Assembly District 24 · former
- State Assembly · Assembly District 23 · 2022–present
Marc Berman was raised in Palo Alto, where he graduated from Palo Alto High School and served as student body president; he later served on the Palo Alto City Council and has served in the California State Assembly since 2016. A lawyer, he represents the 23rd Assembly District, encompassing parts of the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley. He is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus and has taken a pro-housing position that contrasts with the approach of other Palo Alto politicians. His enacted legislation has also addressed manipulated political media and California’s recall process. His record includes both housing policy and rules governing elections and recalls.
BACKGROUND AND FORMATION
Berman was born in Dallas on Oct. 31, 1980, and raised in Palo Alto. At Palo Alto High School, he served as student body president. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Georgetown University in 2002 and later a law degree from the USC Gould School of Law.
While in college, Berman worked in Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s office and as an analyst in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. After law school, he practiced at Latham & Watkins and Merino Yebri, LLP.
His legal work included pro bono representation for clients seeking protection under the Violence Against Women Act and for people seeking asylum from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His education and work also included political science, law school, a congressional office, the Justice Department and two law firms. Berman is Jewish.
THE CAREER
Berman served on the Palo Alto City Council before his election to the Assembly. He has remained in the Legislature since 2016 and represents a district encompassing parts of the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley.
During the redistricting cycle following the 2020 census, Berman and fellow Assemblymember Evan Low were drawn into the same district. Low moved to a neighboring district, averting a primary between the two incumbents. Berman continued representing the 23rd District.
His legislative work has included rules for campaigns and elections. In 2019, he introduced legislation to ban the knowing and malicious distribution of manipulated videos and pictures, commonly called “deepfakes,” that falsely depict the acts or words of a political candidate within 60 days of an election, unless the material includes a disclaimer disclosing that it contains manipulated content. The measure passed the Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In 2022, Berman introduced AB 2584, changing California’s recall process. The governor signed it that September. The law raised the number of signatures required on a notice of intention to recall, required public inspection of recall petitions during the 10-day period in which the election office determines whether a petition can be approved for circulation, and allowed a recall election to be consolidated with a regular election scheduled within 180 days after the petition qualified for the ballot.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Berman has supported policies intended to encourage housing production in response to California’s housing shortage. His stance contrasts with that of other politicians from Palo Alto who favor policies that slow housing production. He served on the Palo Alto City Council before being elected to the Assembly.
His legislative work also includes measures concerning the terms under which political contests are conducted. The 2019 deepfakes law addressed knowingly and maliciously distributed manipulated images and videos that falsely depict a political candidate’s acts or words within 60 days of an election, while providing an exception for material accompanied by a manipulation disclaimer. AB 2584 raised the signature threshold for a notice of intention to recall, required public inspection of recall petitions during the approval period and allowed recall elections to be consolidated with certain regular elections.
AB 2584 was cited in a city dispute in 2023. That May, the Yucaipa city clerk filed a lawsuit seeking to remove statements described as false from a citizen-initiated petition to recall the mayor and two City Council members. The clerk cited state law, including AB 2584, as allowing the removal of false or misleading statements. The city later offered the recall proponents a settlement to dismiss the lawsuit, but the proposal was rejected in September.
Berman’s documented record includes support for policies intended to encourage housing production, legislation governing manipulated campaign media, and changes to recall notices, petition inspection and election scheduling.
The record
4,309 events, each with its sourceAB 896 Elhawary Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 5 Nguyen Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 632 Hart Assembly Third Reading
AB 463 Michelle Rodriguez Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 876 Flora Assembly Third Reading
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month.
National Stuttering Acceptance Awareness Week.
AB 518 Ward Assembly Third Reading
AB 1162 Bonta Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1369 Ramos Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 412 Bauer-Kahan Assembly Third Reading
AB 1416 Ta Assembly Third Reading
AB 2 Lowenthal Assembly Third Reading
AB 1109 Kalra Assembly Third Reading
AB 409 Arambula Assembly Third Reading
AB 1507 Banking and Finance Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1075 Bryan Assembly Third Reading
AB 1510 Public Employment and Re Assembly Third Reading By McKINNOR
AB 1511 Elections Consent Calendar Second Day By PELLERIN
AB 54 Krell Assembly Third Reading
AB 1008 Addis Assembly Third Reading
AB 523 Irwin Assembly Third Reading
AB 712 Wicks Assembly Third Reading
AB 87 Boerner Assembly Third Reading
AB 668 Lowenthal Assembly Third Reading
AB 348 Krell Assembly Third Reading
AB 539 Schiavo Assembly Third Reading
AB 663 McKinnor Third Reading Urgency
AB 562 Solache Assembly Third Reading
AB 774 Bauer-Kahan Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 771 Macedo Assembly Third Reading
AB 769 Wilson Assembly Third Reading
AB 574 Mark González Assembly Third Reading
AB 943 Michelle Rodriguez Assembly Third Reading
AB 1246 Hoover Assembly Third Reading
AB 446 Ward Assembly Third Reading
AB 817 Nguyen Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 594 Solache Assembly Third Reading
ACR 39 Ramos Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 751 Gipson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 737 Quirk-Silva Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1123 Muratsuchi Assembly Third Reading
ACR 36 Carrillo Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 320 Bennett Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1152 Patterson Assembly Third Reading