And that same thing begins with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Nor have they identified a challenger.
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But it remains to be seen how aggressively Democrats will make a play for a district in which they just dumped millions of dollars and came up short.
Rep. Filemon Vela was more blunt.
Those involved in the discussions described them as preliminary among like-minded lawmakers.
When asked on NBC about possible leadership changes, Democrat Bill Pascrell of New Jersey replied, “We’re always reviewing that, believe me”. Democrats need to gain 24 seats to win the majority.
Around the same time House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was declaring she had broad support to remain the top Democratic leader and jabbing back at her critics, a group of her colleagues met privately to brainstorm on whether there was a way to force her out.
Owens pushed back against national debate over whether Ossoff ran a too progressive campaign or a too moderate campaign. But the ashen, sour and dejected faces on CNN Tuesday night following Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff’s defeat made the last 10 days of Republicans’ worry and anxiety worthwhile.
This essay is not to minimize Democratic efforts throughout this campaign.
Rice’s sentiment was echoed by other House Democrats in recent months including Reps. “(Tom) Daschle was a target, Tip O’Neill was a target”, Pelosi said. “I love the fray”. “I thrive on competition”, Pelosi said at a press conference Thursday.
Pelosi says the Democratic base is energized, adding, “We must now put forth our message”.
But Pelosi’s camp signaled she is taking the grumbling seriously. Pelosi has helped engineer budget deals, an overhaul of the nation’s health care law and an economic stimulus during her years as a leader.
Republicans can also now breathe a sigh of relief with the knowledge that they can still win in the kind of affluent, educated districts that often favor Democrats – even with a president who has divided voters in their own party. Rice said. “I want to win”.
Pelosi said: “Usually they go after the most effective leaders because they want to diminish the opportunity that we have”.
Both candidates tried to focus on local issues and avoided mentioning Trump, whose approval rating sits at 37 percent, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. In Tuesday’s special election in Georgia, Republicans consistently tied Democrat Jon Ossoff to the national party.
With President Trump suffering low approval ratings, many called this special election a referendum on the Commander in Chief.
And Pelosi’s fundraising prowess? It was the last straw for some Democrats. Twice. In Georgia and SC. Among those: Adding No. 2 roles to be filled by newer members on every House standing committee and adding six regional vice chairs to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
“Of course, there’s a letdown after something like this”, Owens said.
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Voting for unopposed candidates “just seems like an extra step in the process that we could eliminate”, said the sponsor of the Arkansas law, Rep. Charlotte Douglas, who hasn’t faced any opposition the past two elections. But the Pelosi attacks on the House side have been consistent for years.
