High-ranking Democratic Rep. Linda Sanchez (Calif.) said in a Thursday interview that she believes Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) should step down from her role as House minority leader.
Sanchez, a member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, was elected in 2016 to serve as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus. The California congresswoman is often considered one of the leading candidates to take over for Pelosi if she ever relinquished her top leadership position.
But in an interview with reporters from the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, Sanchez became a bit more vocal in pushing for new leadership.
"I do think we have this real breadth and depth of talent within our caucus and I do think it's time to pass a torch to a new generation of leaders, and I want to be a part of that transition," Sanchez said in an interview set to air on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" on Sunday.
Sanchez added that House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) and House Assistant Minority Leader James Clyburn (S.C.) should also step down.
"I think there comes a time when you need to pass that torch. And I think it's time," she said.
Sanchez is only the latest Democratic member of Congress to call for Pelosi to step aside. Sixty-three House Democrats voted for Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan to head their caucus instead of Pelosi in 2016, and calls for her ouster only amplified after poor showings by House candidates in special elections this year.
"I think you'd have to be an idiot to think we could win the House with Pelosi at the top," Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela (Texas) said in June.
"it's time to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders and I want to be a part of that transition" - @RepLindaSanchez on House Dems pic.twitter.com/PhB4hhJhLV
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 5, 2017