Steny Hoyer won’t be challenging Nancy Pelosi for House Minority Leader. But he’s very likely to challenge James Clyburn (the current Majority Whip) in the race to be Minority Whip next Congress.
In a statement, Hoyer says “Speaker Pelosi has announced that she will be running for Democratic Leader in the next Congress. In the days since the election, I have received an outpouring of support from Democratic colleagues who have told me that I should remain in our party’s leadership, so that our Caucus can hit the ground running with a strong, tested leadership team. Over the next several days, I will continue to speak to my colleagues about serving our Caucus as Democratic Whip, and I will announce a decision after I have consulted with them.”
For a bit of context, Clyburn is a Pelosi ally. Hoyer and Pelosi, by contrast, haven’t had the best relationship, and clashed frequently. Clyburn’s swift announcement of his intentions, on the heels of Pelosi’s decision — combined with the fact that Pelosi has urged Larson to seek the third-ranking position in the minority — suggests that the two of them are trying to consolidate power and squeeze Hoyer out. Seems like he’s not going gently.
