Marcia Fudge: Pelosi ‘lost seats’ over the past eight years

Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) on Thursday said that one of the reasons that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) could face challenges to her bid for the Speaker’s gavel is because of “lost seats” over the last eight years.

“She didn’t do this by herself,” Fudge explained, discussing the Democrats taking back control of the House in last week’s midterm elections. “She also was the person who over the last eight years, lost seats. It’s one thing to give people credit for winning if you also make them responsible for losing.” 

Marcia Fudge spitting fire at Pelosi tonight. “But she didn’t do this by herself. She also was the person who over the last eight years, lost seats. It’s one thing to give people credit for winning if you also make them responsible for losing.” per @elizlanders pic.twitter.com/NvihIbZeus

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 16, 2018

A group of anti-Pelosi Democrats have ramped up efforts to recruit Fudge to run against Pelosi. Fudge herself has expressed some interest in challenging Pelosi for the Speakership.

“People are asking me to do it, and I am thinking about it,” she told Cleveland.com Wednesday.

{mosads}”I need to give it some thought and see if I have an interest. I am at the very beginning of this process. It is just in discussion at this point.”

Fudge did not specify whether she is thinking about outright challenging Pelosi, or if she would declare her candidacy only if Pelosi stumbles.

Pelosi, who was Speaker from 2007 to 2011, expressed confidence on Thursday that she had enough support to be voted into the role. But many lawmakers are insistent about the idea of having a new face in House leadership. 

A senior Democratic aide cited this year’s Democratic House gains in the midterms, telling The Hill that Fudge’s comments looked “ridiculous after Pelosi led us to the biggest win since 1974.” 

On Thursday night, Rep.-elect Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) said she would keep her promise to voters and would not back Pelosi for House Speaker.

Pelosi critics say they’ve solidified signatures from 17 Democrats — a combination of incumbents and incoming freshman — vowing to oppose Pelosi in the subsequent Speaker vote on the House floor in January. The group has been circulating a letter designed to demonstrate that Pelosi cannot win the House majority in that vote and should therefore step out of the contest.