Saturday, November 26, 2022

From Politico: Dems get in array on future leadership after Pelosi departs

More on the process each party in the U.S. House is using to determine leadership for the 118th Congress.

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House Democrats are increasingly likely to elect their troika of top leaders for the next Congress without any major confrontation, ensuring a show of unity as they enter the minority.

And it didn’t happen without some work: The caucus has quietly defused several potential conflicts that could have divided its members. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who’d been eyeing a shot for the No. 2 slot, is expected to run for reelection as chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus instead of mounting a caucus-wide leadership bid, according to four people familiar with the situation.

That follows Rep. Adam Schiff’s (D-Calif.) decision to drop his bid for the No. 1 spot as he eyes a run for a Senate seat in California, clearing the way for current caucus chair Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to run for minority leader unopposed.

Now top Democrats are working behind the scenes to head off a showdown between Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) over Jeffries’ soon-to-be-vacant post, which both of them are seeking. Discussions are ongoing about Neguse staying at House Democrats’ messaging arm instead and perhaps running for a new position as its chair, according to three people familiar with the situation.

The quiet moves mean the ascension of Jeffries, Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Aguilar to the top three leadership spots next year is increasingly assured.