Democrats begin to speak out about fear that Pelosis presence imperils their ability to win House majority in November
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. People pretend that it isnt a problem but it is a problem that exists" said Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) recently saying hed heard from frustrated colleagues who believe that anti-Pelosi messaging cost Democrats a Congressional seat in an Ohio special election last month.
Democratic candidates across the country are being pressed about whether they support Pelosi and regardless of how they answer they are being subjected to GOP attacks tying them to her.
Democratic candidates especially in Republican-leaning districts are trying to customize their appeal" to their particular races and the Pelosi questions complicate that task: They are stuck with that question and they do not deal with it well. You equivocate and it jams you up and it costs you votes" said one Democrat strategist.
The tension is exacerbated by a growing generational rift in the Democratic caucus with younger candidates and members looking to assert themselves against a leadership team that includes Pelosi 78 and her top lieutenant 79-year-old Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (Md.)
And the number of Democrats expressing alarm that she is standing in the way of the next generation of leaders is growing.
While Democrats optimistic view about their chances of taking control of the House in November wane they are becoming increasingly anxious that the presence of their longtime and polarizing leader House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is making it harder for many of their candidates to compete in crucial swing districts.
Republicans have made the House minority leader a central element of their attack ads and are portraying many of their opponents as inextricably tied to the liberal from San Francisco.
The tension was apparent most recently as Democrat Candidate Rashida Tlaib of Michigan typically a Democrat leaning state became at least the 27th Democratic House candidate to decline to say whether she would support Pelosi.
Tlaib told CNN that her constituents dont feel like theyre being heard and I think that starts at the top with leadership." She believes it is time for a generational change
Some Democrats even believe that anti-Pelosi attacks aimed at the Democratic candidate in an Ohio special election congressional race last month pushed the Republican to a narrow win.
About a third of Republican ads in the Ohio race mentioned or depicted Pelosi and GOP strategists argued that Democratic candidate Danny OConnors last-minute equivocating on the Pelosi question was a deciding factor.
OConnor said early on that he did not support Pelosi remaining as the top Democrat in the House echoing the stance of Conor Lamb the Pennsylvania Democrat who won a March special election in a GOP-leaning district.
In the Ohio race outside Republican groups aired ads on a variety of themes taxes opioids education health care and seniors. But Pelosi ads dominated especially in the final week. GOP attack ads targeted OConnor by highlighting Pelosi gave those attacks fresh oxygen a week before Election Day when under persistent questioning during an MSNBC interview he conceded he would vote for Pelosi as speaker if the choice were between her and a Republican.
The dynamic creates a conundrum for Democrats many of whom rely on Pelosis fundraising prowess. But some Democrats are beginning to speak out about how allowing Pelosi to remain in charge of the House Minority Caucus could reduce the size of a Democratic wave in November or worse imperil their ability to win the majority.
Among the Democratic candidates who have declined to endorse Pelosi is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez the 28-year-old Democratic Socialist from Queens who
as an admitted member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has become a national and rising star of the Democrat Partys left wing.
Republicans say Pelosi who is well-known among voters from her four years as House speaker starting in 2007 continues to be a reliable shorthand for a liberal Democratic agenda.
Just last week the biggest Republican super PAC focusing on House Congressional races debuted an ad against Kansas candidate Paul Davis one of the 26 House Democratic candidates who have openly spurned Pelosi declaring that a vote for Paul Davis is a vote for Nancy Pelosi."
In a race that was decided by 1000 or 1500 votes thats probably a difference- maker" said Ken Spain a Republican political consultant. Even if Democrats win the House in November he added it could be the difference between having a razor-thin majority and a governing majority. Its a lot easier to move legislation when you have a cushion of votes to work with."
Jesse Hunt a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee said GOP officials saw no evidence in Ohio that Pelosi attacks have lost their potency.
When Nancy Pelosi becomes a central part of the discussion in any race that is something were winning on because were not just talking about her were talking about her policies" Hunt said.
Asked by CNN after his loss if Pelosi had hurt his campaign OConnor returned to his preferred way of discussing the Democratic leader: As a figure from the past who needed to move aside.
It tells me that folks are ready for a new generation of leadership" OConnor said.
Pelosi has been careful recently to keep her partys message focused. She has not embraced calls for Trumps impeachment; nor has she offered any actual support for a growing campaign on the left to eliminate the Immigration & Customs Enforcement agency.
But Republicans say that in the eyes of voters Pelosis name is shorthand for extreme liberal policies.
