Rep.-elect Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., said she’ll support House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for House speaker after originally signaling she would not support her in upcoming leadership elections.
It’s the latest setback for anti-Pelosi forces in the Democratic Caucus, who want an alternative candidate for speaker once the party formally takes the majority in early January.
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“I came to DC with an open mind,” Hayes said in a statement Tuesday. “I was willing to listen, to hear where other members of Congress wanted to take our party and was hopeful that many candidates would step up to the plate and there would be multiple options to choose from when selecting our next Speaker. I have seen media reports of other candidates but to date, the only person that has declared their intentions, spoke to me about their vision and asked me for my vote is Nancy Pelosi.”
Hayes, who was elected last month to represent Connecticut’s 5th District, a solidly Democratic district, said in August she would not vote for Pelosi.
Now, changing her mind, Hayes said a vote against Pelosi would be a vote for the Republicans.
“The American people sent Democrats to Congress so that we would fight for the values they care about and to act as a check on this Administration. Voting against Nancy Pelosi accomplishes neither of those goals. In fact, it undermines them,” Hayes said.
