EDITORIAL : HUGS ALL AROUND; ASSEMBLYMAN HERTZBERG HAS THE LEADERSHIP ABILITIES TO MAKE HIM THE SECOND VALLEY REPRESENTATIVE TO SERVE AS SPEAKER.

AROUND the Capitol as well as in the San Fernando Valley, Assemblyman Bob Hertzberg is known as the ``hugger'' for fondness for dishing out big bear hugs.

Now it appears the entire Assembly will have a chance to embrace the Van Nuys Democrat's leadership abilities and elect him speaker.

Hertzberg already has a political and financial advantage over his opponents. He received the endorsement of the man who now holds the post, Los Angeles Democrat and mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa, as well as $1 million of Villaraigosa's campaign war chest.

Hertzberg has the shown the capacity to lead. He has worked tirelessly to make the transition from a GOP-controlled Assembly to one run by the Democrats, running orientation classes for freshmen lawmakers and operating as one of the speaker's closest confidants.

All the while, the 45-year-old two-term lawmaker has kept an eye on his district, taken care of his constituents and, more than other area legislators, understood that the people of Valley have a broad range of interests in common that are bigger than political boundaries.

To his credit, Hertzberg fought a tough fight to get the Legislature to pass the bill removing the City Council veto from secession bids and securing funding in Gov. Gray Davis' budget to pay for the cityhood study.

Villaraigosa's endorsement didn't come as a surprise.

It has been long rumored that once Villaraigosa declared for mayor's race, he would do everything possible to put his Sacramento roommate and longtime ally in the best possible position to succeed him. When the murmurs began, Hertzberg made it known he would seek the job.

But he's not the only Val who trying to take control of the Assembly.

Panorama City Assemblyman Tony Cardenas wants the job, and has the backing of key Latino lawmakers, including East L.A. politician Richard Polanco.

Cardenas, who like Hertzberg is in the second of the maximum three terms, has grown a lot since his early days in the Legislature when he helped carry out Polanco's agenda instead of forging his own identity as a true Valley representative. At 36, he has a bright political future regardless of the outcome.

Even as the two men count the votes, which Villaraigosa and Minority Leader Scott Baugh say favor Hertzberg, it's important they remember who brought them to power: the people of the Valley who have long suffered from elected leaders who ignore the needs of their constituents.

Whoever is left standing, and we believe the best qualified candidate is Hertzberg, ought to embrace his Valley roots.