US House Democrats are reportedly already thinking ahead, speculating on a caucus injected with fresh blood after Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 81, cedes her role.
“I’ve heard that Pelosi may not run again, or might not be speaker again. I think it’s probably pretty speculative right now, but [there’s] excitement about a lot of different members,” a House Democratic aide was cited as saying by The Washington Times.
Nancy Pelosi has been serving in the chamber’s highest role for the second time in her political career, since 2019, after previously holding the position from 2007 to 2011. The Democrat, who made history by becoming the first woman in her country to serve as Speaker of the House, has been dodging questions regarding whether she intends to run again to represent her San Francisco district, triggering chatter in the halls of Congress about a likely successor.
U.S. President Joe Biden celebrates with lawmakers including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) after signing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, U.S. November 15, 2021
© REUTERS / JONATHAN ERNST
She refused to open up on the issue when asked by The Times at a celebratory press conference after the House passed President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion social welfare and climate bill, known as the Build Back Better plan.
“I’m not here to talk about me, I’m here to talk about Building Back Better,” she replied evasively at the time.
Pelosi similarly dodged the question in late October. Asked by CNN's Jake Tapper on State of the Union whether she would seek re-election as speaker if Democrats maintained control of the House of Representatives after the 2022 midterms, the Democrat from California quipped:
“You think I'm going to make an announcement right here and now?"
"You're gonna run for re-election though, yes?" pressed Tapper. "Why would I tell you that now?" laughed Pelosi, adding, “Probably I would have that conversation with my family first if you don't mind."
US midterm elections on 8 November 2022 will see all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 34 of the 100 seats in the Senate contested. The voting will determine whether Democrats are able to maintain control of the House and whether Pelosi would be eligible for the speaker role. After their loss of the chamber in 2016, House Democrats had argued the need for change to their party's leadership. In the 2020 elections, they ceded 13 seats, receiving a narrow majority of 222 seats; 212 are held by Republicans.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) presides over the vote for the Build Back Better Act at the U.S. Capitol on November 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. The vote, which passed 220-213, comes after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarty (D-CA) spoke overnight for more than eight hours in an attempt to convince colleagues not to support the $1.75 trillion social spending bill. The key Biden Administration legislation is the result of months of negotiations between the White House and moderate and progressive House Democrats.
© AFP 2023 / ANNA MONEYMAKER
Speculations regarding the outcome of the 2022 midterms comes against the backdrop of President Joe Biden’s sinking approval ratings and the results of this month’s elections in Virginia and New Jersey. In Virginia, Democrat Terry McAuliffe lost to the Republican, Glenn Youngkin, and in New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, by a slim margin fended off a challenge from Republican former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli.