Ohio Dem won’t back Pelosi if elected

Another Democratic congressional candidate said he would not support House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) if elected to office, according to a Cincinnati newspaper.

“Will I support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker?” Aftab Pureval asked during an interview with The Enquirer on Wednesday. “The answer is no. I’m running for Congress because I genuinely believe we need a new generation of leadership.”

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Pureval is challenging incumbent Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) in a pivotal race that House Democrats have prioritized in Ohio.

He joins about 20 other House candidates who have distanced themselves from the 78-year-old Pelosi this election cycle, claiming she is out of touch.

Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) are fielding widespread criticism from left-wing activists and Democrats who say they are frustrated with the party’s direction under Pelosi’s and Schumer’s leadership.  

Many Democratic congressional candidates are framing themselves as insurgents in a party that is not progressive enough.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the young candidate who last month stunned the Democratic party with her upset win over long-term incumbent Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), re-energized the conversation about Democratic Party leadership.

Pelosi, responding to a question about Ocasio-Cortez’s win, said its impact was overblown.

“I’m female. I’m progressive. What’s your problem?” Pelosi, who has led the House for 15 years, said at the time.