California congressmen Howard Berman and Brad Sherman nearly came to blows before being separated by a police officer during a contentious debate at Pierce College on Thursday night.

The two Democratic Reps, who are battling for the same San Fernando Valley congressional seat after being redistricted, got into a heated confrontation over an immigration bill.

After Berman stepped close to Sherman, Sherman yelled “Get out of my face!” and then grabbed Berman around the shoulder,  shouting “You want to get into this?” as he pulled his opponent closer. A police officer then separated the two congressmen, as the apparently bloodthirsty crowd cheered them on.

As the Los Angeles Timesreports, the race has become one of the most bitter and heated in the nation despite the fact that the two candidates agree on most policy issues. The most recent poll of the race, conducted by SurveyUSA for KABC in late September, shows Sherman leading Berman by a 45 to 32 percent margin, with 23 percent still undecided.