Dems begin to see Pelosi as a problem

Congresswoman’s aide dismisses survey’s findings.

WASHINGTON — Nancy Pelosi might actually be in trouble.

In a survey of 20 Democratic House candidates, only one — a former Senate staffer from Orange County, Calif. — would state support for the congresswoman staying on as leader of the House Democratic Caucus. Of the rest, 18 declined to say whether Pelosi should keep her job, while one, a political newcomer from a culturally conservative Ohio district, said he would vote for someone other than Pelosi.

Their refusal is a remarkable development for an already embattled minority leader.

But even more significant are the implications that their refusal carries for next year’s midterm elections.

Democrats are eager to win a majority, buoyed by voters’ disapproval of President Donald Trump. But Pelosi’s own deep unpopularity has proved a major hindrance to them in recent campaigns. After Democrats lost a special election in June, some party insiders blamed Pelosi directly.

“We are overdue for a new generation of leadership,” said Kenneth Harbaugh, a candidate in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, and the only candidate surveyed who was a hard no on voting for Pelosi as leader.

Harbaugh, a former Navy pilot and graduate of Yale Law School, compared Pelosi’s leadership post to his service in the military.

“You are the captain of that ship and commander of that aircraft, and if it runs aground, it doesn’t matter where mistake was made — the captain is held accountable,” he said. A Pelosi aide dismissed the survey’s findings, arguing that Pelosi remains firmly established as the Democratic leader while candidates focus on more important issues.

“Candidates across the country are focused on issues that matter to their constituents, such as better jobs and better wages, not the latest Beltway gossip,” said Jorge Aguilar, a spokesman for Pelosi’s campaign.

“Leader Pelosi has the overwhelming backing of the House Democratic Caucus because she continues to unify Democrats in our battle to defeat Trumpcare.”

Although Democrats other than Harbaugh were not so unequivocal in their opposition to Pelosi, many offered caustic assessments of her leadership, and the political liability she poses.

“President Putin probably has a better approval rating in Georgia than Nancy Pelosi,” said David Kim, a candidate in Georgia’s 7th Congressional District.

Kim’s district neighbors Georgia’s 6th District, where Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff delighted liberals earlier this year with his unexpectedly strong bid to win a traditional Republican stronghold in the Atlanta suburbs.

But Ossoff lost his race in June, and immediately some Democrats blamed Pelosi. Republicans had almost obsessively focused on her during the campaign, winning over independents and Trump-skeptical GOP voters with a message that tied the Democratic candidate to his would-be caucus leader at every turn.

Ossoff ’s loss and Pelosi’s role in it weigh heavily on Democrats — so much so that her role as a top fundraiser for candidates nationwide is no longer enough to ensure her of their support.