Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat running for a House seat in Michigan, said Thursday she probably won’t vote for Nancy Pelosi to lead the Democrats if she wins in November.
“Probably not,” Tlaib told CNN Thursday morning when asked if she would vote to keep Pelosi in her leadership position in the next Congress.
CNN’s @JohnBerman: Will you vote for Nancy Pelosi as leader?
Democratic congressional candidate @RashidaTlaib: “Probably not” pic.twitter.com/MppADHCEXt
— New Day (@NewDay) August 9, 2018
“The fact that there are structures and barriers for working families in my district that need to be dismantled,” she added. “And supporting big banks and supporting efforts that I don’t think put the people first is troubling, and I need somebody that fully understands why I’m so passionate about those issues.”
Pelosi has been on shaky ground for the last few years as Democrats have failed to win back the House. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, challenged her and lost in 2016, but her age and growing support for socialist policies in the Democratic Party could make her vulnerable to a new challenge after the midterm elections.
Tlaib is running to replace former Rep. John Conyers, and after winning her primary, she won’t face a Republican opponent in November, all but guaranteeing her victory.
Tlaib refused to call Pelosi a “sellout,” but said Pelosi doesn’t talk about the issues her constituents care about.
“All I can tell you is, she doesn’t speak about the issues that are important to the families of the 13th Congressional District, and they are a priority for me,” she said.
“I have to listen to them, and I have to make sure that I never back down, and that I don’t sell out personally,” she said.
