Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, announced Thursday that he would run against Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to lead Democrats in the House next year.
His announcement sets up an immediate battle among Democrats, some of whom who were bitterly disappointed with last week’s election results and could support a changing of the guard. But Pelosi, the current minority leader, has said she already has the support of two-thirds of House Democrats, and that she hopes to be the minority leader again in the new Congress.
Ryan spent days deciding whether to take on the veteran lawmaker in the Democratic Caucus’ leadership elections, which he helped postpone until Nov. 30. House Democrats were scheduled to select their leaders by secret ballot Tuesday.
“Last Tuesday’s election will forever be remembered as a major turning point for the United States of America,” Ryan stated in announcing his bid to his fellow Democrats. “Like many Americans I was disheartened by the results, but I also realized that Democrats must not let this opportunity for change pass by without a fight.”
“I have spent countless hours meeting and talking to members of our caucus, and the consensus is clear,” he continued. “What we are doing right now is not working. Under our current leadership, Democrats have been reduced to our smallest congressional minority since 1929. This should indicate to all of us that keeping our leadership team completely unchanged will simply lead to more disappointment in future elections.”
Pelosi first entered leadership as whip in 2002. She quickly ascended to minority leader when former Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri retired in 2004. In 2010, then-Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina went head-to-head with her and lost badly.
Pelosi was confident Thursday that she would survive any challenge.
“[W]ithout even asking anybody for a vote, I have over two-thirds of the caucus supporting me,” Pelosi said during her weekly news conference Thursday before Ryan made it official. “It’s a funny thing in a caucus, or any place, when somebody challenges you. Your supporters turn out both internally in the caucus and in the country,” she said. But “I don’t see anything about what is being suggested now as anything but the friendship of all of us.”
Pelosi also warned would-be challengers that they would have a fight on their hands if they try to topple her through term limits.
“[M]any have said they wanted to have term limits in the committee so that they can rise up,” she said, reciting a common complaint of less senior Democrats. “I said, ‘if you want that you have to go fight for it. Because that’s the debate within our caucus.'”
Ryan opted for the direct route.
“While having a position in Democratic leadership has never been my life’s ambition, after this election I believe we all need to re-evaluate our roles within the caucus, the Democratic Party, and our country,” Ryan explained to colleagues.” That is why I am announcing my run for minority leader of the Democratic Caucus and humbly request your support.”
Ryan said that if he is successful, he would not seek a second term unless at least two-thirds of his colleagues were behind him.
By making it official, Ryan might ward off other contenders.
Rep. Joe Crowley of New York, currently the caucus vice chairman, refused to tamp down rumors that he might look to leapfrog up the leadership ladder by taking on Pelosi. But that was before Ryan’s announcement. And there’s perpetual gossip that the House’s No. 2 Democrat, Maryland’s Steny Hoyer, is tired of being her deputy.
The two have been rivals ever since Pelosi narrowly edged him out in 2002’s whip race, but Hoyer has declined to take her on ever since. Hoyer has already declared his desire to remain whip.
