Pelosi launches formal bid for Speaker in next Congress
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday formally launched her bid to keep the gavel for another two years, sending a letter to fellow Democrats seeking their support. Pelosi has led the Caucus since 2003, and had made it no mystery in recent weeks that she intended to retain that position in the next Congress.
While voters on Tuesday maintained the Democrats' majority in the lower chamber, it was a bruising cycle for Pelosi and party leaders, who had promised to pick off vulnerable Republicans and expand their numbers advantage in 2021. Instead, Democrats lost at least seven incumbent seats, and as of Friday morning they had not knocked off a single Republican seeking reelection. The dispiriting results have sparked plenty of finger-pointing within the diverse and divisive caucus, with moderates and liberals trading barbs over who bears the blame, and lawmakers of all stripes criticizing their leadership's messaging strategy heading into the polls.
In her letter, Pelosi alluded to those tensions, noting the "diverse viewpoints of our Democratic Caucus" and "the urgency of the challenges ahead." The Speaker said she'll be contacting members individually "to get the benefit of your thinking fresh from your campaign trail. Our Caucus is blessed with many divers and entrepreneurial perspectives," she wrote.
There appears to be no threat to Pelosi's bid to retain the gavel. The Speaker has the overwhelming support of her caucus, and won widespread praise over the last two years for her confrontational dealings with President Trump, including his impeachment, and her handling of the pandemic. Heading into the elections, she was not expected to face a challenger.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/524791-pelosi-launches-formal-bid-for-speaker-in-next-congress
