Several Pa. Democrats leave themselves wiggle room for Nancy Pelosi vote

Here's what the 9 Pa. Democrats who will serve in the U.S. House are saying.

• Ed Mahon
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  Ed Mahon comes to Spotlight PA from PA Post, where he covered state politics and policy, produced radio stories that were broadcast on public media stations throughout the state and on NPR’s national newscasts, and co-wrote a weekday newsletter. Prior to joining PA Post, Ed worked for six years as an investigative and political reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA Today Network. His reporting on failures in Pennsylvania’s system for protecting domestic abuse victims was a finalist in the national 2018 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists in the local reporting category. He was also part of a team whose coverage of the criminal justice system, including the aggressive use of civil asset forfeiture by York County prosecutors, received the 2018 G. Richard Dew Award for Journalistic Service from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Before joining the York Daily Record, Ed covered K-12 education at the Centre Daily Times in State College and worked as a stringer for suburban sections of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He grew up in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

 Susan Walsh / Associated Press

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018.

In southeastern Pennsylvania, Democrat Madeleine Dean has praised Nancy Pelosi for ushering the Affordable Care Act through Congress and campaigning “relentlessly during this election season.”

Dean says Pelosi should be the next speaker of the House.

But several other Democrats from Pennsylvania are giving themselves more wiggle room.

Pelosi, a California Democrat and the minority leader of the U.S. House, wants to return to the speaker position when her party takes control of Congress in January. But she’s facing opposition, and on Monday, 16 Democrats released a letter, vowing to vote for new leadership.

None of those 16 Democrats are from Pennsylvania.

Here’s what Pennsylvania Democrats, who will be part of the new Congress, are saying.

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Rep. Brendan Boyle told The Philadelphia Inquirer he would support Pelosi for speaker.

Boyle’s new district covers part of Philadelphia, and he won re-election by about 58 percentage points in November.

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Rep. Dwight Evans tweeted out a letter of support for Pelosi on Monday.

He gave her credit for stopping President George W. Bush’s “attempt to privatize Social Security” and getting the Affordable Care Act passed. And he said she is partially responsible for the “fact that the Republicans’ list of accomplishments” has been so short these past two years.

“Republicans tried to use Leader Pelosi as a weapon against us this year, and yet here we are, returning to the majority — all the more impressive when you consider the gerrymandering and voter suppression that stacked the deck against us in so many states,” Evans wrote.

I would like to offer a different perspective on the current debate over the Speakership and Leader @NancyPelosi: pic.twitter.com/y4BV8tBYZf

— Dwight Evans (@RepDwightEvans) November 19, 2018

Evans’ new district covers part of Philadelphia, and he won re-election by about 87 percentage points in November.

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Dean, one of the newly elected Democrats, tweeted out her support on Nov. 13.

Leader @NancyPelosi ushered in Obamacare & campaigned relentlessly during this election season. She has the experience, compassion, intellect, & skill to lead us during this crucial time. She’s demonstrated her great dedication to our democrat ideals and should be our Speaker. https://t.co/jDNIo9LUvt

— Madeleine Dean (@mad4pa) November 13, 2018

Dean will represent most of Montgomery County and part of Berks County. She won election by about 27 percentage points.

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Mary Gay Scanlon was sworn into office earlier this month after winning both a special election and general election.

A reporter in Washington, D.C., asked if she would support Pelosi.

“Well, right now, as far as I understand, she’s the only person running. So that makes for a very easy decision,” Scanlon said.

The Washington Post, which is tracking whether Pelosi has enough votes, labeled Scanlon’s response a dodge.

In the new Congress, Scanlon will represent all of Delaware County, plus parts of Montgomery County and Philadelphia. She won that election by 26 percentage points.

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During a recent panel discussion on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” Chrissy Houlahan said, “Right now, she’s the only person who’s running. So it would appear as though that’s where my vote would go. And right now, I believe that she’s an effective person in that job.”

Host Margaret Brennan cut in.

“But you’re open to being swayed?” Brennan asked.

“I believe right now, it looks as though it’s heading in the direction that she will be our speaker, and I think she’s a pretty powerful person and capable person,” Houlahan said.

Houlahan will represent all of Chester County and part of Berks County. She won election by about 18 percentage points.

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Susan Wild, who won a special election and general election, didn’t commit when speaking to The Morning Call.

Wild told Politico that it was important to have a plan of succession laid out before Democratic members vote, “so that we are grooming people for leadership who are as diverse as this incoming freshman class is.” Pelosi, and the members she has supported for the No. 2 and 3 leadership positions, are all in their 70s.

Wild’s new district will include all of Lehigh and Northampton counties, plus part of Monroe County. She won that election by about 10 percentage points.

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Rep. Matt Cartwright, first elected in 2012, is uncommitted and expects to make his decision after speeches and presentations at a Democratic caucus meeting on Nov. 28, according to a Cartwright spokesman.

Cartwright’s new district will includes much of northeastern Pennsylvania, including all of Lackawanna County.

He was re-elected by about 9 percentage points.

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During his successful special election campaign, Conor Lamb distanced himself from Pelosi and said he wanted to see her replaced as the leader of House Democrats.

“I think it’s clear that this Congress is not working for people,” he said in January 2018, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I think we need new leadership on both sides.”

Lamb was not one of the Democrats who signed onto the Monday letter, pledging to vote for new leadership. But a Washington Post reporter tweeted that Lamb’s office still says he won’t vote for Pelosi.

Have reached out to 5 Ds who’ve been anti-Pelosi but did not sign letter… 1 reply so far, from @ConorLambPA spox: “Nothing has changed…Cong. Lamb has said publicly several times since the election that he will not vote for Leader Pelosi for Speaker in Caucus or on the Floor.”

— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) November 19, 2018

His new district in southwestern Pennsylvania includes part of Allegheny County. He won in November by about 12 percentage points.

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Rep. Mike Doyle said, at this point, Pelosi is unopposed and he plans to vote for her, according to a spokesman for the congressman.

His new district covers part of Allegheny County. He was unopposed in the November election.

Ed Mahon can be reached at emahon@papost.org or at 717-421-2518.

Map: Pennsylvania’s new congressional delegation

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