As Pelosi’s Election Approaches, Leaderless Rebel Dems Blink
Another House Democrat appears to be walking back his opposition to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s bid for House speaker, saying Sunday that he would support her for the position over a Republican.
Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, one of the 16 House Democrats who signed a letter opposing Pelosi’s campaign, softened his stance Sunday in an interview with a local TV station.
“If it becomes as a choice between a Republican and Nancy Pelosi, I’ll obviously support Nancy Pelosi,” Lynch said.
While Lynch gave in slightly on his opposition, he continued to warn against the party’s future if it doesn’t make significant changes.
“If the face of our party is Nancy Pelosi, with all due respect, I think we lose the House again,” Lynch said.
“I do think we risk losing the majority in the House — we risk having (President Donald) Trump elected for another four years — if the Democrats don’t offer a new direction in the Democratic Party,” Lynch added.
House Democrats will hold a closed-door vote by the end of the week, in which Pelosi only needs half the Democratic Caucus to secure the nomination.
The entire House of Representatives will publicly vote on Jan. 3, in which Pelosi will need a majority of the House to support her.
In case you missed it, Part 1 of my “On The Record” interview with Ed Harding and Janet Wu where we discuss Healthcare and the Democratic party: https://t.co/VdM6PWOVLb
— Rep. Stephen Lynch (@RepStephenLynch) November 26, 2018
Lynch’s admission came days after Democratic New York Rep. Brian Higgins, who was also signatory to the letter, changed his mind and said he’d be voting in support of Pelosi.
Higgins told The Buffalo News Wednesday that he made a deal with Pelosi on two key legislative issues: infrastructure and health care. In return, Pelosi can count on his vote.
“Some will ask why I have changed my position,” Higgins said Wednesday. “The answer is simple: I took a principled stand on issues of vital importance not only to my constituents in Western New York but also to more than 300 million Americans whose lives can be improved by progress in these areas.”
Pelosi also won the support of the other Democrat whose name was floated to run against her, Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio, who announced she would not be contesting Pelosi and endorsed her instead.
Around the same time the congresswoman made the announcement, Pelosi released a statement naming Fudge the chairwoman of a House subcommittee overseeing elections, according to Politico.
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