2 4 th ▁con gression al ▁district ▁bare ly ▁surv ived ▁the ▁Republican ▁Revolution , ▁winning ▁re - e lection ▁by ▁just ▁a ▁two - point ▁margin , ▁by ▁far ▁the ▁worst ▁election ▁performance ▁of ▁his ▁career . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Be il enson ▁decided ▁to ▁ret ire . ▁ ▁Sh erman ▁decided ▁to ▁run ▁and ▁won ▁the ▁ 7 - c andid ate ▁Democratic ▁primary ▁with ▁ 5 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁In ▁the ▁general ▁election , ▁he ▁defeated ▁Republican ▁nom ine e ▁Rich ▁Sy bert ▁( also ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁nom ine e ) ▁ 4 9 % – 4 4 %. ▁However , ▁he ▁has ▁never ▁faced ▁another ▁contest ▁nearly ▁that ▁close . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁he ▁won ▁re - e lection ▁with ▁ 5 7 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁After ▁that , ▁he ▁has ▁won ▁re - e lection ▁every ▁two ▁years ▁with ▁at ▁least ▁ 6 2 %. ▁▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁ ▁Red istrict ing ▁following ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁census ▁drew ▁the ▁homes ▁of ▁Sh erman ▁and ▁fellow ▁Dem ocrat ▁Howard ▁B erman , ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁represented ▁the ▁ 2 8 th ▁District , ▁into ▁the ▁ 3 0 th ▁District . ▁The ▁red ra wn ▁ 3 0 th ▁was ▁more ▁Sh erman ' s ▁district ▁than ▁B erman ' s ; ▁Sh erman ▁retained ▁approximately ▁ 6 0 % ▁of ▁his ▁former ▁territory , ▁while ▁B