House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is reportedly struggling to secure a majority of 218 votes from next year’s new Congressmembers. That’s the number she needs to regain the speaker’s gavel now that Democrats have retaken the House majority.
Pelosi, who served as speaker before Democrats lost the House to Republicans during Barack Obama’s first term, stayed atop her Party for eight years as House minority leader awaiting a return to power. Now, however, some in the Party would like someone else as speaker, although Pelosi is the only declared candidate for the position.
“The naysayers claim they have the 15 to 20 votes it would take to block Pelosi on the House floor,” wrote Politico. “But so far, no one’s stepped up as an alternative, and it’s unclear who might.”