Pelosi Wins Another Term in Congress, but Will She Still Be House Speaker?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi won one more term but is now facing some tough questions about whether she'll retain her position as speaker.
House Democrats shrunk their majority in Tuesday's election, prompting some moderates in the party to plan on ousting Pelosi as the speaker.
Democrats were hoping to gain additional seats in the House, but instead, Republicans made gains, said Daily Mail.
Several moderates won the reelections after vowing not to back Pelosi for another term as speaker. According to The Hill, two centrist House Democrats are also looking for support for colleague Hakeem Jeffries.
Moderates believe Jeffries, a top Pelosi lieutenant, could garner support from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's powerful "squad" of progressives.
Related story: Pelosi to Seek Another House Speaker Term If Democrats Keep Majority After Election
Jeffries rejected the idea, but the move to get rid of the California representative was still a remarkable shift.
Before Election Day, Pelosi led in the Democratic-controlled House with 232 votes compared to the GOP's 197 votes. By Wednesday, Republicans gained a more solid minority of 200 seats.
'New Leadership' After Pelosi
Chairwoman of House Democrats' campaign arm Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois also predicted a good outcome for Democrats on Tuesday.
She claimed that Democrats could defend the 2018 gains and flip Republican territories.
"I think we are going to see some wins in these deep red districts," she said.
But clearly, that wasn't the case. An ex-senior Democratic aide said the election was supposed to be a "bloodbath for Republicans," but it wasn't.
"It's time for Democrats to elevate a new generation of leadership in both the House and the Senate," another Dem lawmaker told The Sun.
New York Magazine journalist Olivia Nuzzi also reported on a senior Dem aid who said Pelosi would have a "hard time" gaining back speakership.
Pelosi's Deputy Chief of Staff Drew Hammill dismissed the reported shake up. Instead, he asked everyone to focus on the White House race and ensuring that candidates in uncalled races get the support they need.
How are House Speakers Chosen?
The Speaker of the House is chosen through a majority vote of the entire lower chamber. So in theory and in case of a slim majority, a handful of centrist Democrats could force their party to change bets by threatening to side with the GOP.
Read also: 3 Major Ways the Election Could Affect the Fate of Stimulus Checks
Pelosi was notably quiet on Wednesday about her party's faltering margin in the House.
She did not make any direct statements about the losses in a press release. She only referenced the election as a "challenging" matter.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is also from California, said the Democratic losses become a significant threat to Pelosi as House Speaker.
"I know there was a number of people who did not vote for her last time," McCarthy said, referencing to the Democratic defectors from two years ago.
In light of the election result projects, McCarthy remains hopeful that the GOP will have a "very big say, or even run the floor" when it comes to policy.
The 2018 elections was already a challenge for Pelosi's position as speaker, but she was on more solid footing then than she will be in this year's cycle.
By the end of vote counting, House Republicans are expected to have a net gain of 10 seats.
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