Marc Berman

Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) has represented the Silicon Valley region since his first election in 2016, establishing himself as one of the Legislature's most prolific authors with 101 of his 107 bills signed into law during his first nine years in office ^[1,2]. A former Palo Alto City Council member, attorney, and nonprofit executive, Berman chairs the Assembly Business and Professions Committee and has built his legislative identity around election reform, youth mental health and suicide prevention, education access, and housing production ^[1,3,4]. While his progressive policy orientation frequently diverges from CFC priorities -- particularly on abortion access and gun regulations -- his sustained commitment to protecting vulnerable youth from suicide and his advocacy for sexual assault survivors reflect values that align with the protection of children and families ^[3,5]. With a 13% CFC Biblical Values Scorecard rating, Berman's voting record has consistently diverged from the California Family Council's worldview framework on the sanctity of life (Chapter 6), parental authority in education (Chapter 8), and religious liberty (Chapter 9).

Marc Berman was born on October 31, 1980, in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Palo Alto, California, where he attended Palo Alto High School and served as student body president ^[1,2]. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Georgetown University in 2002, where his interest in civic engagement led him to work in Congresswoman Anna Eshoo's district office and serve as a summer analyst in the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S.

Berman transitioned from law into nonprofit work, serving as Development Director at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, which focused on increasing access to STEM education and closing the achievement gap in Bay Area public schools ^[3,5]. He was elected to the Palo Alto City Council in 2012, serving through 2016 ^[1,2]. On the council, he chaired the Finance Committee and created the 'Budget in Brief,' a seven-page overview of Palo Alto's $470 million budget designed to increase fiscal transparency ^[3].

His 13.5% Biblical Values Scorecard rating across 104 scored floor votes reflects consistent divergence from CFC's worldview framework. His voting record has supported abortion access expansion over the sanctity of human life, government-directed education over parental authority and school choice, and progressive social mandates over religious liberty protections.

Berman lives in Menlo Park with his wife, Aimee Gildea, and their dog Maven ^[1,3]. He brings a combination of legal expertise, nonprofit experience, and deep local roots to his legislative work.