Already this morning I see plenty of comments that Pelosi (and leadership in general) need to be replaced. Yesterday, it was that she spoke too confidently about winning the House (she was right). As always, Pelosi knows how to count votes. The next vote she will be counting, is votes for Speaker. Many might be familiar with the fact that several dozen current and running Democrats for House, said publicly they would not vote for her, for speaker should Democrats gain the majority.
How did Pelosi react to this news? By saying it was fine that they felt that way, and she was working to bring the House back to Democrats, and people could say what they needed to say to get elected. She also would be working on their behalf to get them elected. How else did the party react?
Vox has counted 42 candidates who have publicly said they will not support Pelosi. That list has almost doubled since July, when the total number of candidates hovered around 24. Of the newly updated number, 24 candidates are on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red to Blue list, the list of Republican-held districts Democrats consider competitive. Red to Blue is the closest the DCCC comes to endorsing a candidate; those candidates get extra resources to help in their races.
The DCCC funded 2 dozen of these candidates, even when publicly coming out against Pelosi during the primary and general election campaigns. Like Pelosi, they were a team player, with eyes set squarely on the House majority. Some of it, with money she helped raise.
Pelosi is a fundraising and legislative powerhouse that no Democrat can match. This campaign cycle, she has traversed the country, raising a whopping $135.6 million for Democratic candidates, including about half of what the DCCC raised this cycle. When she was speaker during the Obama presidency, she led the passage of the Affordable Care Act, a stimulus package and a Wall Street reform bill.
How did the candidates who came out against her, fare in their elections?
According to CNN tallies, 12 incumbents who had already pledged to vote against Pelosi were re-elected Tuesday night, along with at least seven new candidates.
And those that won, what does Pelosi say about them now?
During the campaign, Pelosi insisted that Democratic candidates in competitive House districts were free to distance themselves from her if needed. Winning the seat, she said, was the top priority. When asked late Tuesday what she would say to those new members now, Pelosi said her only message is:
“Congratulations on your victory.”
So now that it came to pass, who will challenge her as speaker?
Tim Ryan?
No challenger has yet emerged, and the Ohio Democrat who did run against her in 2016 -- Rep. Tim Ryan -- told CNN he hasn't ruled it out, but he isn't considering challenging her at the moment, either.
"I don't have any intention of doing it," Ryan said when asked Tuesday night.
Some Pelosi detractors are open to other members often mentioned as rising stars and potential top leaders in the caucus, including Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Cheri Bustos of Illinois, David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Karen Bass of California and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico.
But so far it appears highly unlikely these members would launch a challenge against Pelosi, given their close ties with the minority leader. Bustos and Cicilline are currently running for the Assistant Democratic Leader position, which will be the No. 4 post under a majority.
In writing this, I came to find out some of those Democrats, while talking tough, almost did take steps to stop her before the election:
Schrader, Ryan and Vela were three of 11 members who signed on to a proposal this fall that would make it difficult for anyone, including Pelosi, to get the caucus nomination for speaker in this month's leadership elections. Traditionally, it only takes a majority of the caucus to win the nomination, but this proposal would raise the threshold to 218 -- the same number of votes needed to win the speaker in the final vote on the House floor.
The proposal was withdrawn shortly before members left for their October recess, but it's expected to be brought up again. Supporters of the idea want the caucus to be united behind their nominee before going to the floor in January.
Republicans spent over 70 million dollars in ads, running against Nancy Pelosi specifically, all across this country. She won, her caucus won, and it was because most of them weren’t distracted by leadership fights, before they won the majority. I fully support her for speaker, and after last nights House results, I hope the majority of the caucus does too. Perhaps in the next week or two, we will hear of someone willing to put their votes where their mouth is. Until then?
For the first time in American history, more than 100 women will serve in the new Congress. Pelosi cast her determination to extend her career as a message to them.
"Women come up to me all the time to say 'thank you for fighting,'" she said. "I don't want women to think if you get attacked, you run away."
Also, a side note about impeachment? It’s never been off the table, it’s always been contingent on Mueller’s investigation and finding enough proof to convince enough Republicans to vote for it. Taking the House, is a HUGE step towards obtaining that proof. Protecting Mueller is another.
Pelosi dismissed the possibility of attempting to impeach Trump unless findings from Robert Mueller's Trump-Russia investigation prove grave enough to draw Republican support.
"I don't think there's any impeachment unless it's bipartisan," she said. "Our priority is to get results for the American people."
She is right, and that is sadly the political reality on impeachment. No one said we have to like it.
Sources:
Vox: More than 40 Democratic House candidates want Nancy Pelosi to step aside after 2018
La Times: Even after leading her party to House majority, Nancy Pelosi faces battle for speaker's gavel
CNN: Pelosi detractors plot next steps but lack a viable foe
NBCNews: Democrats opposing Pelosi
CNBC: Republicans declared war on Nancy Pelosi — and she won