It’s been just three days since Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of a progressive millennial but House Democrats are already considering their future without their caucus chairman.
At least three Democrats have expressed their interest in replacing Crowley as chair of the Democratic caucus. In conversations with the Washington Examiner, multiple members representing a broad ideological spectrum across the Democratic Party say Crowley’s loss has blown up the leadership hierarchy.
“It blows the leadership ladder completely apart,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. “We’re starting over from scratch.”
Crowley was widely considered House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s likely successor. Many expected him to challenge her after the November election despite his public statements of support for the San Francisco Democrat. With Crowley out, it’s an entirely different ballgame, members say.
The New York Democrat was the “heir apparent,” Connolly said, and “now that’s gone.”
Others like Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., said that with or without Crowley there would have been a wide open leadership race after the midterm elections, especially if Democrats take back the House.
But Rep. Scott Peters, who has long called for a “transparent” leadership process, says Crowley’s defeat changes things.
“In the wake of Joe’s loss a lot of people are thinking hard about what our leadership should look like to an extent that I haven’t seen since I’ve been here,” said Peters, D-Calif.
Peters added that he wants Pelosi and her top two deputies to “lead a transition, not fight it.”
“If we were going to have generational change, Crowley was the best positioned to be able to lead it,” said one member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Crowley’s absence leaves it up to members from the class of 2012 and 2014 to “step up.”
Another member said an internal poll conducted in 2016 put Crowley within eight votes of catching Pelosi, but he didn’t want to take her on. Instead, Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio did, and lost. Pelosi’s power and influence over the caucus looms large, evident in the fact that many members continue to request anonymity when discussing leadership. Pelosi’s vocal critics admit they saw Crowley as their best chance to topple her because he appeared ready this time to challenge her and was widely respected across the caucus. Now, they aren’t sure who would be up for the bruising battle or the potential ramifications if they failed.
Whoever ultimately dares to take on Pelosi or her top two deputies will need to build a strong coalition of support. Part of Pelosi’s strength is her status as a Californian — the very label Republicans use to attack her on the campaign trail.
Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, said there’s no world in which a Californian isn’t in the top three given the state’s large delegation. And as more and more members clamor for influence, there will need to be someone in leadership who represents the Congressional Hispanic and Black caucuses. That doesn’t count the possibly sizable freshman class, which on average is much younger than current members. There could also be more demands from progressive and LGBTQ members to be considered if a leadership scramble ensues.
“It would be suicide for Democrats to not put a female in leadership,” Vela said, adding that he’s more concerned about the top three spots than caucus chair or vice chair, which are “not real spots to me.”
Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., said she’ll push for gender balance if there’s a change to leadership.
“We’re seeing more and more with each passing week, each passing day the consciousness of the nation about the fact that there needs to be gender balance in everything we do and I know there are lot of us who advocate for that,” said Clarke.
A known Pelosi detractor, Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., said Crowley’s loss to the 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should rattle Democrats, who need to recognize voters want change.
“We have to wake up to the reality that when you have election outcomes like this and you see a new generation of people running for the first time — more women running more vets running, people feeling the need to get involved — that just naturally is going to shift things,” said Rice.
But Pelosi isn’t going anywhere, repeatedly making clear her plans to stay on. Though many members say there’s a growing desire to challenge her, there haven’t been any takers.
Pelosi’s dismissed the idea that Crowley’s loss signals a larger anti-establishment movement that could impact her position at the top. When asked if Democratic leadership should be representative of the party’s embrace of young, liberal, female candidates, Pelosi quipped, “well, I’m female, I’m progressive, so what’s your problem?”
“Two out of three ain’t bad,” she added.
The list of potential Pelosi challengers is long but few are considered serious contenders. Those named frequently include Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Cheri Bustos of Illinois, and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico. More recently, California Rep. Karen Bass’s name has been floated.
Lujan, who Pelosi boosted to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Jeffries, however, are seen as less likely to challenge her out of loyalty. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has positioned himself as a possible “bridge” to the next generation, but few members mentioned him as someone who would oppose Pelosi.
Bustos hinted she may be interested in upward mobility, pointing out that Midwestern Democrats need a bigger seat at the table.
“We value diversity in nearly every way; one area where we haven’t valued it to the level I’d like to see is geographic diversity,” Bustos said. “I sit around the leadership table now, I’m the only Midwesterner, I’m the only member sitting around that table who comes from a district that Donald Trump won.”
But Pelosi’s future will be largely dependent on the midterms. If Democrats win back the House by a sizable margin it would be difficult for Pelosi critics to argue she and her deputies should go. Though an increasing number of Democratic candidates have called for leadership changes, few have committed to voting against Pelosi, who pointed out Thursday that when she’s not in the Capitol, she’s out “raising money to elect those very people.”
As for who will replace Crowley, multiple members told the Washington Examiner that DCCC chairman Lujan, Rep. Linda Sanchez of California and Rep. Barbara Lee of California are already talking to members about running for the spot.
Lee was seen making the rounds at the Democratic Club for the first time in months on Wednesday, one day after Crowley’s loss, members said. Others said Sanchez started working the floor during votes, taking the temperature of the caucus. Lee and Sanchez squared off last cycle for the vice chair spot under Crowley. Sanchez won by one vote.
“I’m talking to members now,” Lee said of her ambitions. She hasn’t officially declared she’s running, but is seriously considering it.
“I never anticipated this because I think Joe did a fine job as caucus,” Lee said, but she’s “getting input” from members.
“I hope my record speaks for itself,” Lee said. “People know who I am as an African-American woman, as a progressive; they know that I’ve worked with Republicans all members of the caucus and I’ve been an effective legislator.”
Sanchez is “keeping an eye towards the future” but said its premature to definitively say she’ll run.
“If there are opportunities, obviously I’m interested,” Sanchez said. “The outcomes of the midterms will be a big determining factor in what happens with House leadership.”
Clarification: This piece previously said Rep. Peters is a “vocal advocate for change at the top” but was changed to say he supports a “transparent process” and wants current leaders to tell members what their plans are to ready the next generations of leaders.
