House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi announced Monday she has picked Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico as the new chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the fundraising and candidate-recruiting arm of House Democrats.
Luján, who has served in the House since 2009, replaces Rep. Steve Israel of New York, who oversaw massive losses for House Democrats during the 2012 and 2014 elections.
Pelosi, who is expected to be re-elected minority leader by House Democrats later this week, called Luján “a dynamic and forward-looking leader with a fresh energy and ideas House Democrats need for victory in 2016.”
Luján has his work cut out for him. House Democrats so far have suffered a net loss of 15 seats as a result of the Nov. 4 midterm elections — with a handful of races still undecided — after losing 12 seats in 2012. Republicans are set to begin the 114th Congress in January with the largest House majority since at least the 1950s.
Luján, who will be the first Hispanic to lead the DCCC, wouldn’t say if it was realistic to expect Democrats will win back the House in 2016. But he suggested the political landscape will be more favorable for his party in two years than it has been in recent congressional election cycles.
“I think it’s important we just go talk to more and more people, and I think we can set those expectations high,” he told reporters during a news event at the Capitol. “Going into 2016, we’re going to see more of the electorate involved, excited, ready to work and ready to get more [Democrats] elected.”
“We’ll see those numbers [for the 2016 elections] as they roll out. But you saw those very close elections this year where Republicans spent a record amount of money. I think we’re going to see more Democrats get elected in 2016, and those numbers are going to surprise you.”
Pelosi also announced Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Donna Edwards of Maryland as co-chairs of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.
The minority leader also created a new leadership position for Israel; chairman of policy and communications.
“As Chairman of the DCCC for the past four years, Congressman Steve Israel has consistently proved the depth of his wisdom and the strength of his strategic vision in making our case to the American people,” she said. “Congressman Israel will be an invaluable asset to our caucus.”
The leadership positions won’t be official until the full House Democratic Caucus votes on them later this week. But the vote is viewed as a formality.
