Assemblyman Robert Hertzberg strides through his district offices at a pace usually reserved for a commuter late to catch and early morning flight to Sacramento — a situation with which the busy politician is all too familiar. Here, within the confines of his home turf, his energy bounces off the walls, only slightly contained by his gracious manner.
Robert “Call me Bob” Hertzberg is the most likely candidate to replace his close friend, the popular Antonio Villaraigosa, as speaker of the state Assembly — that is, if he doesn’t decide to follow the path of other prominent Los Angeles lawmakers and pursue a run for city government.
“Do I want to be speaker? The answer is yes. Am I actively seeking the job? The answer is yes,” Hertzberg said. “But the one thing I’ve learned in politics is that you can never fall in love with it or with your position in it. This job is very difficult; it takes every bit of energy I’ve got. So while I am interested in being speaker, I need to work through that first and then decide whether to run for city attorney.”
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