RIVALS VIE FOR POLITICAL MIDDLE GROUND; SHERMAN, HOFFMAN TARGET SWING VOTERS FOR HOUSE.

Byline: David R. Baker Daily News Staff Writer

It's almost as if Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman and his Republican rival, Randy Hoffman, were reading the same playbook.

With less than a month left before the Nov. 3 election, both are pitching themselves to voters as fiscally sensible moderates while trying to tie their opponent to extremists - positions that reflect a swing district stretches from Sherman Oaks to Thousand Oaks.

Their policy positions often show as many similarities as differences. Both support abortion rights. Both oppose giving vouchers to parents who send their children to private school, arguing that such a move would drain money from public schools.

``It would de-fund public education,'' Sherman said.

And Hoffman: ``If we went to a voucher system, we'd pull the rug out from under hundreds of thousands of kids and leave them stranded in an underfunded system.''

They have good reason to stake out the middle ground. The 24th Congressional District has nearly as many registered Republicans as Democrats - 124,910 compared to 146,527. Two years ago, Sherman, succeeding Democrat Tony Beilenson, won the race with 50 percent of the vote, compared to 43 percent for Republican Rich Sybert.

``The Republicans have targeted (the district) to win for the last decade, but they haven't been able to do it,'' said GOP consultant Allan Hoffenblum, who publishes a bipartisan subscription service analyzing key political races.

With its moderate leanings, the district could swing to either party this fall as voters react to the scandal enveloping the White House, Hoffenblum said.

``If there's a Republican tide, it should go Republican,'' he said. ``If there's a Democratic tide, it should go Democrat. And no one knows what kind of tide is going to come in this November.''

Underscoring the importance of the race, both parties have brought heavy hitters into the district to campaign, including House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri for the Democrats and House Majority Leader Richard Armey of Texas for the Republicans.

The visiting luminaries, however, have also provided some opportunity for sniping between the candidates. When Armey flew into town for a Hoffman fund-raiser, Sherman's campaign cheerfully compiled a list of the feisty conservative's more extreme quotes.

``I can't think of a better way for Mr. Hoffman to show us where he'll stand in the extremely unlikely event he gets to Congress - he'll stand right with Dick Armey,'' Sherman said.

The Hoffman campaign has tried a similar tactic, often repeating that Sherman votes in league with the most liberal members of congress.

``Sherman talks about seeking a middle ground, but when you look at his record, he doesn't vote the middle ground,'' Hoffman said.

There are some crucial differences in their positions.

They split over the future of Social Security, amid predictions of financial disaster when the baby boom generation retires.

Hoffman favors putting a fraction of taxpayer contributions into individual accounts managed by the government, with some discretion over the kinds of investments the accounts would use.

``The big difference with this account is that it's your money. It's tagged,'' he said. ``And the government can't come in during the middle of the night and take it.''

Sherman says the Social Security system is in better shape than many people think and will remain in the black so long as the economy remains strong. He prefers more modest changes to the system, such as allowing the trustees who administer the fund more leeway in choosing investments.

``The most important thing we can do for Social Security is to keep the economy in good shape,'' he said.

They also disagree on estate taxes. Hoffman wants to eliminate them. Sherman says such a move would eliminate $305 billion in government revenues during the next 10 years and benefit only the wealthiest of Americans. But Sherman recently voted for a bill that would shield some properties from the tax.

On the other side, both favor using most of the new federal budget surplus to shore up Social Security while giving some of the money back as a tax cut.

Hoffman, who supported Proposition 227 to virtually end bilingual education in California, said he would back a similar push nationwide. Sherman, who opposed Prop. 227, said he supports the idea of the measure so long as some flexibility is reserved for school districts.

``I think a program dedicated first and foremost to teaching fluency in English is best, and those programs that try to teach other goals as if they were just as important don't have their goals in the right place,'' he said.

The two candidates also agree on an issue that, while it could conceivably determine the outcome of the race, has been absent from the rhetoric of both camps - namely, the fate of President Clinton.

Both candidates say the country's leadership needs to return its attention to more important things.

``This scandal has sapped our ability to plan for the future,'' said Sherman, who supports censuring the president. ``We can't afford another year.''

Hoffman has not taken a position on censure or impeachment, but said he is worried that the Republican leadership's posturing over the impeachment question could produce a backlash.

``The bottom line is, the guy had an affair, and he lied about it,'' Hoffman said. ``How does that affect my life? It doesn't. Let's move on with it.''

RANDY HOFFMAN

Age - 44

Education - MBA from Harvard University, 1980; B.S. from the University of Southern California, 1976.

Political experience - Appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson to California's Domestic Violence Advisory Council in 1997.

Professional - Former president of binocular maker Bushnell. Founder and former president of Magellan Systems Corp., maker of global positioning systems.

Personal - Lives with wife, Brenda, and four children in Thousand Oaks.

BRAD SHERMAN

Age - 43

Education - J.D. from Harvard Law School, 1979; B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, 1974.

Political experience - Elected to U.S. House of Representatives in 1996. Served on budget committee in 1997. Elected to California Board of Equalization in 1990 and re-elected in 1994.

Professional - Member of the Board of California Common Cause, 1985-89. Also worked as a certified public accountant.

Personal - Lives in Sherman Oaks.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1) Randy Hoffman

(2) Brad Sherman