House Democrats elected Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) as assistant Democratic leader after Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) withdrew his last-minute bid.
Cicilline faced an uphill battle against Clyburn in the race for the No. 4 leadership spot due to the deep level of respect he commands from the caucus. Clyburn was the only member of the outgoing Democratic leadership that includes Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) who decided to stay in a leadership position.
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Clyburn was unopposed until Cicilline surprised the caucus Wednesday by announcing his bid. He wound up withdrawing about 24 hours later at the beginning of the caucus meeting Thursday morning, in which the Democrats are electing various down-ballot leadership positions. Cicilline, who chairs the LGBTQ Equality Caucus and chairs the Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee, said he was running for the spot to give the LGBT community a voice at the leadership table.
“I think what’s very important to the LGBTQ community, which is a very important part of our caucus and a community that is particularly under attack all across this country — needs to be represented at the leadership table,” Cicilline told reporters on Wednesday. “And I feel very strongly about that. I think a lot of my colleagues feel the same way.”
The Democratic conference also selected Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO), who ran unopposed, to chair the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. In the field of six candidates for the three vice chair positions, the conference elected Reps. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Lauren Underwood (D-IL), and Dean Phillips (D-MN) to help lead the communication arm.
The new leadership class, helmed by soon-to-be Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA), has been supportive of their predecessors staying in the wings throughout the next Congress. Leaders often retire from Congress after stepping down from top positions, making it somewhat unusual for Pelosi and Hoyer to remain rank-and-file members and Clyburn in a lower leadership role.
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“What an incredible blessing to be able to continue to rely on the life experiences, the wisdom, and leadership instincts, skills, the talent and ability of Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, and Jim Clyburn,” Jeffries said at a Wednesday press conference. “It’s a blessing that we embrace. We stand on their shoulders and look forward to continuing to get things done for everyday Americans.”
While Democrats have a unified front going into the 118th Congress, Republicans are in an intense leadership war between Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and his supporters and hard-liner opponents who could sink his bid for speaker of the House. The speaker needs the votes of half the entire House, and the GOP’s slim majority means McCarthy needs almost every member of his conference on board.
