Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) was rebuked by some constituents at a town hall in his district Monday for his efforts to block House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s Speakership bid.
“The majority of Americans want this change, the majority of Democrats want this change,” Moulton, who won his party’s nomination in 2014 by unseating a sitting House Democrat, said.
{mosads}Attendees at the town hall, several of whom were pro-Pelosi protesters, can be heard saying “no,” with one responding, “This is what the Republicans are saying … They just don’t like Washington, get rid of everybody, put this guy in and it feels like you don’t think there’s a skillset necessary.”
“I am deeply upset that you are challenging [potential] Speaker Pelosi with no person that you think would do a better job, no policies that you disagree with. We don’t want to do what the Republicans did with their Tea Party people and split our party, and I’m deeply concerned that’s what you and your buddies are doing,” another attendee said, according to WBUR.
The town hall came the same day Moulton co-signed a letter with 15 other House Democrats officially opposing Pelosi’s campaign to regain the Speaker’s gavel.
“Democrats ran and won on a message of change,” they wrote. “Our majority came on the backs of candidates who said that they would support new leadership because voters in hard-won districts, and across the country, want to see real change in Washington. We promised to change the status quo and we intend to deliver on that promise.”
Notably, Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), a critic of Pelosi who is considering a Speakership bid of her own, did not sign onto the letter.
Pelosi’s being elected the Democratic nominee for Speaker is appearing more likely since the midterm elections two weeks ago, as a prominent opponent has failed to come forward with widespread support from the Democratic caucus. She has expressed confidence in the support she has within the caucus and will need a simple majority of the party when the Democrats choose their nominee later this month.
But the insurgents have more power when it comes to Pelosi’s wider confirmation in January, when she must get the support of a majority of the entire House of Representatives.
Democrats have picked up 37 seats thus far, with four races yet to be called. If Democrats win all of the outstanding contests, Pelosi could lose 18 votes within her party and still clinch the gavel if all Republicans oppose her. If Democrats lose all of those uncalled races, she could afford to lose 14.
Much of the opposition to Pelosi emerged in swing districts during the midterm campaigns by Democrats running to unseat Republicans. Critics of the insurgents fear a replacement to Pelosi, who has garnered the endorsements of several progressive groups, would be more conservative than the current leader.
Pelosi votes with President Trump less than 20 percent of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight. Only one of the signatories to the letter votes in-line with the White House less often.