Why the lower tier of Democratic leaders is worth watching
Even before Wednesday’s election results were announced, House Democrats knew who their top three leaders would be. It’s the same folks who have been running things for more than a decade – Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and James Clyburn. All pushing 80 years old, they all ran unopposed, with more than three-quarters of the Democratic caucus nominating leader Pelosi to be the next speaker of the House.
Ms. Pelosi still has to win over more supporters when the whole House votes for speaker on Jan. 3. But at some point – and critics hope it’s sooner rather than later – this troika will step aside and the next generation will step up. That’s why it’s worth focusing on the winners of the lower-rung positions on the leadership ladder. Usually, only political junkies are curious about these folks, and that’s been especially true for the past eight years that House Democrats have wandered in a political wilderness as the minority power.
Not anymore. While Pelosi has been criticized
Ben Ray Luján, assistant Democratic leaderHakeem Jeffries, caucus chair Katherine Clark, caucus vice chair David Cicilline, chair of the DPCCCheri Bustos, chair of the DCCC
