Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan thinks he’ll surprise people in the vote for the leader of the House Democrats on Wednesday.
Ryan said on CNN Tuesday morning that he made calls during Thanksgiving week and believes he’s found a welcoming reception among Democrats in the House. The minority party is set to vote on whether Ryan or current House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will lead their caucus tomorrow.
“A lot of people are going to be surprised tomorrow,” Ryan said. “We have a lot of support. We keep rolling out members of Congress who support us.”
Ryan is considered a long-shot candidate to unseat Pelosi, who has been in charge of the House Democrats since 2003. However, he says it’s time for Democrats to promote a more unifying economic message and start winning elections again.
“When we walk out of the room tomorrow, what are we going to tell the American people?” he asked. “That what happened on Tuesday (Election Day) and what’s happened since 2010 is OK, we’re going to keep going down the same path? Or that we’re going to have a new message, a new face and a new brand.”
Ryan said he’s confident in his ability to come up with an economic message that appeals to all the different segments of the country.
“I know I can go anywhere in the country and campaign for Democrats,” he said. “And, I’m excited to do that and to create what will look like a new Democratic party.”
