At least 20 House Democrats called on Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) to postpone leadership elections scheduled for Thursday to give lawmakers a chance to determine what caused the party to perform poorly in last Tuesday's elections.
In a letter to Pelosi over the weekend, rank-and-file members urged holding a "family conversation" aimed at diagnosing the party's shortcomings, the Washington Post reported.
"It is vital that our Caucus take the time to listen to the American people and learn the lessons of this difficult election in order to put our Caucus in the best position to fight the potentially dangerous agenda of President-elect Donald Trump and to have a realistic chance of taking back the House in 2018," the letter reads.
"Only by taking the time to find the hard truths can we formulate a comprehensive path forward, which could include the composition of our caucus leadership and the roles and responsibilities of each leadership position," it continued.
Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio) initially spearheaded the effort to delay elections, but ultimately backed off amid speculation that he plans to challenge Pelosi in the upcoming election for House Democratic leader.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) on Monday blamed Pelosi's leadership for the Democrats' inability to retake the chamber.
"I truly believe as long as she's leader we keep the majority," McCarthy said.
Pelosi's allies, meanwhile, said House Democrats need her "strategic, battle-tested leadership to guide us through the years ahead."