Now that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has bowed out of the running for minority leader as Republicans clinch a threadbare majority in the House, Democrats must replace their leader of roughly 20 years.
House Democrats had been in stasis waiting for her decision, with all potential challengers declining to unveil plans for leadership until she made it public. Her departure sets the stage for a massive shake-up within the caucus as members scramble to fill her shoes.
Many Democrats, such as President Joe Biden, have prodded her to stick around, particularly given that she led her party to an unexpectedly strong performance in the midterm elections. But she reportedly cut a deal with progressives back in 2018 that she would not stay in the role beyond four years.
“With great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress. For me the hours come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus,” Pelosi proclaimed during an address on the House floor Thursday.
Pelosi’s decision comes weeks after her husband, Paul Pelosi, was beaten in his home by someone hunting for the speaker.
Leadership elections are slated for Nov. 30. Here are three Democrats who have been speculated to vie for top posts following her leadership retirement.
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Hakeem Jeffries
The chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, which makes him the fifth-ranking House Democrat, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is seen as a rising star among House Democrats and is one of the younger members in leadership. He is also seen as a front-runner to be the minority leader, particularly given that Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has bowed out.
Over the summer, he met with House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) to mull over plans to replace Pelosi, according to Politico. Clyburn, 82, hinted that he would not stand in Jeffries’s way, saying there was “nothing I would ever do to impede the progress of our up-and-coming young Democrats.”
Jeffries had also reportedly put out feelers among his colleagues to gauge whether there would be support to catapult him to a higher leadership position. Shortly before Pelosi’s announcement, he told reporters he was eager to hear it.
Jeffries, asked if he’s spoken to Pelosi since last night’s statement: “I’m looking forward to hearing what the speaker has to say, either in the whip meeting or later on this afternoon.”
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) November 17, 2022
Katherine Clark
Serving as assistant speaker, Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) has effectively been in training for a higher leadership role for some time. She has been speculated as a contender either to rise to minority leader or another top-ranking slot in Democratic leadership.
Should she go for the No. 1 slot, she would likely face stiff competition from Jeffries, who was considered the top pick among many Democrats, according to Axios. At 59, she is considerably younger than the octogenarians in Democratic leadership.
Pete Aguilar
In addition to Clark, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) has been floated as a contender to replace Pelosi. He serves as the vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. Competition for his current post is already beginning to manifest, with at least four Democrats in the running, the Washington Post reported.
It’s not clear that Aguilar would be keen on challenging Jeffries.
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Schiff had also been another favorite to succeed Pelosi, but he has withdrawn from consideration.
Oftentimes, the No. 2 member gets elevated to the No. 1 post once it gets vacated. In this case, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) is second in command. Hoyer revealed Tuesday that he would not pursue leadership in the next Congress. He also backed Jeffries for the No. 1 slot.
Meanwhile, Clyburn has backed the trio of Jeffries, Clark, and Aguilar to lead the Democrats, appearing to step aside from consideration for one of the three big leadership roles following suit with Pelosi and Hoyer. He will reportedly vie for assistant Democratic leader in the next Congress.
“Speaker Pelosi has left an indelible mark on Congress and the country, and I look forward to her continued service and doing whatever I can to assist our new generation of Democratic Leaders which I hope to be Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar,” he said following Pelosi’s announcement.
On the Republican side, the race for their No. 1 slot is appearing to be a slugfest. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) secured the nomination to be speaker as the party cemented lower-level leadership posts this week, but he was dramatically short of the votes he’d need to clinch the gavel come January.
Given the GOP’s slim margins in the House, he can afford few defections to clinch 218 votes during the full-floor vote for speaker in the new Congress.
