Spurred on by the success of anti-Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) candidate Conor Lamb, several other Democratic House candidates now say they plan to similarly distance themselves from the House Minority Leader.
Several media observers have declared Lamb the likely victor in the still too-close-to-call Pennsylvania 18th Congressional District special election. While his Republican opponent Rick Saccone has not yet conceded the race, either outcome would be considered a strong showing for Lamb in a district President Donald Trump won by 20 points in 2016.
Part of Lamb's appeal in the red district was his vocal attacks on Pelosi. Now, "a half-dozen Democratic House members and candidates" tell Politico they're considering doing the same.
"If we’re going to take the majority, it’s going to be because we win districts like that," Texas Rep. Filemon Vela said. "Running against Nancy Pelosi is going to help you a lot more than running with her."
"If you say you’re not going to vote for her, it actually helps you because you look independent, which is very powerful in this environment," said an anonymous House Democrat.
An anonymous Democratic campaign manager likewise said there was a "100 percent chance that we’ll see more rejection of Pelosi from [Democratic] candidates going forward."