Posted on 11/06/2022 9:09:52 PM PST by SeekAndFind
As the Tuesday midterm elections loom, there is scrambling to adjust to the expectation that Republicans will fill the seats in Congress. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is on her way out, and Democrats will need to have a minority leader in place when the turnover happens.
If Democrats fail to hold the House, Pelosi is widely expected to step down — not just from leadership, but from Congress, Politico reported.
Republicans are currently favored to win the House of Representatives, according to Five Thirty-Eight, and are expected to announce leadership positions a week after the midterms. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will likely take over Pelosi’s position as speaker in the event of the expected Republican red wave.
Speculation as to who will step into the Democrat leadership position has some names being bantered about. Majority leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip Rep James Clyburn, D-S.C., Assistant Speaker Rep. Katherine Clark, and Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D- NY are a few of the names.
Now the news is breaking of a meeting that may shed light on Democrats’ intentions when it comes to House leadership. As Pelosi steps down, one name is standing out.
Hakeem Sekou Jefferies has served New York’s 8th congressional district, which is eastern Brooklyn and southwestern Queens, since 2013. The 52 year old congressman whose website touts affordable housing, the broken criminal justice system, prescription drug prices and public education. Jefferies has chaired the Democratic Caucus since 2019. Jefferies is reportedly of the Muslim faith.
A secret Sept. 1 meeting may have put Hakeem Jeffries on the map to replace California representative Nancy Pelosi’s role as top House Democrat, Politico reports. In the event of a Republican sweep, that would put Hakeem Jeffries as the minority leader.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, met up at Clyburn’s office during the summer congressional recess, according to the outlet.
Jeffries, the fifth ranking House Democrat who aspires to be the first ranking, picked up chatter about a colleague and took action.
Jefferies became aware of a “quiet campaign” from California Rep. Adam Schiff for the speakership, inspiring the New York congressman to fly out to California and speak with Clyburn. At the meeting, Clyburn reportedly expressed his full support for Jeffries’ bid, Daily Caller reports.
“There’s nothing I would ever do to impede the progress of our up-and-coming young Democrats, and I see him as an up-and-coming young Democrat,” Clyburn said of Jeffries, according to Politico. “He knows that, I didn’t have to tell him that — but I did.”
The 82 year old Clyburn added he is “willing to do anything the caucus thinks is to their benefit” and noted that Jefferies has “referred to me a sa mentor.”
The news of change in Democratic leadership comes as speculation about whether President Biden will run for a second term is rampant. Biden himself insists that he will run, and that he is the best chance for the Democratic Party to keep control of the Oval Office, but there are murmorings form other high party officials that Biden is not the best choice of a candidate.
Republican sources say that former President Donald Trump will be announcing his candidacy shortly after the midterm elections are over, and with the multitude of issues facing the country that the Biden administration has failed to address or conquer, it is thought that a strong figure would need to tun against Trump.
Commentators note that Trump has increasingly high numbers in approval ratings not just from Republicans but Democrats as well, and more voters have been switching to the Republican party than vice-versa. Trump-backed candidates outnumber those he did not back at the polls on Tuesday, and the expected Red Wave in congress should be a clue about the former president’s support across the nation.
None of the Democrat names bantered about are powerful names nationally.
The Hill reported that with Biden’s recent “it remains to be seen” comment about his running again, more Democratic chatter about who will run has surfaced. Vice-President Harris is reportedly not seen as aa leading option. One Democratic donor said, “there’s not one clear candidate and there’s not a rising star.”
The outlet quotes strategists saying that although Harris remains as an option for 2024, “No one is going to win the nomination without winning in the South.”
The Hill denotes seven top contenders, namely Harris, Buttigieg, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Newsome, Se. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders (who has stated that he will not run and supports Biden) and Ocasio-Cortez, who only turns 35 (the minimum age to run for the presidency) a month before the 2024 election, and who has not as yet voiced support for Biden should he run. Warren and Sanders both lost to Biden in their party’s 2020 primary.
One thing you’ve gotta give her credit for...her hair is *always* fabulous!
What about the Antichrist?
AGREED. He is grating to listen to.
Why?
What has she achieved?
Does tearing up the State Of the Union Address count as an achievement?
Lacking accomplishment, Pelosi is a failure.
Incoming members choose leadership, not lame duck members.
They’ll never allow it and he’s another one who isn’t going to compromise but if the Republicans had a large majority I’d very much like to see Thomas massie in that role
Candidates are chosen by the lame ducks in Nov.
The election is held in Jan. with the new congress. Whoever of the majority party gets the nomination in Nov. wins the election.
In order to win the election, a candidate must receive the majority of the votes cast (not necessarily a majority of the Houss seats) Any fight within the majority party over who is to be speaker *could* result in the candidate of the minority party winning the speakership. Therefore, “for the sake of the party,” the candidate chosen in Nov. wins the election.
IT’S A SCAM!!!!
She will hang around to get sworn in but I suspect her steeping down in Spring 2023.
Screw the Democrats. We need to take care of our own business and lose Kevin.
Jordan for speaker.
After the Shellacking the Dems are about to get, no way they go to an extreme pick.
If you read between the lines about the “secret meeting” in Sept, the Democrats knew in probably July they were going to loose the House.
Its also funny how Democrats pick radicals to lead them and GOP MUST pick a moderate.
At the very least they’ll have to widen the doors.
Former Fox News Producer Points Out Something Very Curious About The Paul Pelosi Story
If McCarthy take over as Speaker, then we have lost at the first bell. McCarthy will ensure that Democrats/Communist are protected from any type of investigation.
Kevin McCarthy
a proven failure
try somebody else please
AMEN
You are in error about lame ducks. Members-elect come to DC and participate in the leadership elections and in the nomination of the Speaker and Committee chairs, and outgoing members do not vote (not sure if they can attend the meetings or not).
You are correct in theory that if the members-elect and returning members were to take over the Republican conference and nominate a very aggressive MAGA candidates for Speaker and reject seniority to nominate junior MAGA members for key Chairmanships, that the moderate Republicans could team up with the Democrats to elect a moderate Republican to those posts, in defiance of the conference. However, that’s really unlikely on both sides.
You should be FAR more worried about how the Swamp subverts people who come to Congress pure-in-heart small government conservatives...
OK
Your first paragraph has given me a lot to chew on. Obviously I’m gonna have to do more digging on that.
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