Democratic lawmakers are revolting against their boss, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.).
This year there have been four special congressional elections in Georgia, Montana, South Carolina, and Kansas that Democrats targeted as winnable races. Democrats spent over $35 million in those elections and lost all of them.
The lack of electoral success has led some Democratic lawmakers in the House to ask whether Pelosi is the right leader to have before the 2018 midterm elections.
"We have to go into 2018 with a leader who is damaged," Rep. Tim Ryan (D., Ohio) said.
Ryan challenged Pelosi's leadership after the 2016 election. He was unsuccessful, but was able to get 63 votes from his Democratic colleagues. The vote was the largest bloc of opposition against Pelosi since she rose to leadership in 2002.
Congressional Black Caucus chairman Rep. Cedric Richmond (D., La.) refused three times to answer whether Pelosi should stay on as House Democratic leader.
Another Democratic lawmaker said it is unlikely that Democrats would win a majority in the House with Pelosi as leader.
"I think you'd have to be an idiot to think we could win the House with Pelosi at the top," Rep. Filemon Vela (D., Texas) said.
One Democratic candidate pledged not to vote for Pelosi for leadership if he wins his election.
The Democratic Party needs new leadership now. If elected, I will not vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker. Time to move forward and win again.
— Joe Cunningham (@JoeCunninghamSC) June 21, 2017
President Donald Trump weighed in on Twitter with his opinion about Pelosi remaining the Democratic leader.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/877892883352702976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ffreebeacon.com%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-it-would-be-a-very-very-sad-day-for-republicans-if-pelosi-steps-down%2F