Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., on Wednesday blamed sexism and ageism for her loss in a two-candidate race to become the next chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
“You heard and saw what took place. So I absolutely think that’s the case,” Lee told reporters on Capitol Hill when asked about the “institutional barriers” she faced, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “That’s something that women, especially women of color and African-American women, have to face.”
“That’s nothing new. It’s here, it’s everywhere. But I think we did a great job,” she said, adding it was crucial for the party to come together. “We still have many glass ceilings to break.”
Lee, 72, was contesting the House Democrats’ No. 5 job against fellow Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Jeffries, 48, won the closed-door election 123 to 113. If Lee had prevailed, she would have been the first American-American woman to hold a position within either party’s House leadership teams.
Jeffries on Wednesday downplayed the criticism, saying it was “a friendly contest of ideas.”
“Members of the House Democratic Caucus worked their will,” he said.
Jeffries’ victory has been celebrated as a win for younger members of the conference given the age of its other leadership figures, including probable House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is 78.
