Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan Challenging Nancy Pelosi for House Democratic Leadership

AKRON, OH — Congressman Tim Ryan is making a play for the leadership of House Democrats, a move that would unseat longtime leader Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi has led House Democrats for 14 years. The election of House leadership will take place Nov. 30.

Ryan wrote a letter to his colleagues in the House saying it is time for a shakeup in Democratic leadership in the wake of a disastrous Nov. 8 election that saw the party lose the presidency, the Senate and the House to Republicans. He noted that in the past 18 years the Democrats have only held the majority in the House for two terms.

“While having a position in Democratic leadership has never been my life’s ambition, after this election I believe we all need to reevaluate our roles within the caucus, the Democratic Party, and our country. That is why I am announcing my run for minority leader,” Ryan wrote.

Ryan has been publicly weighing this bid for leadership for a few weeks. Pelosi claims she has the support of nearly two-thirds of Democratic Representatives and several outlets are calling Ryan's bid a "long shot."

"The American people need to know we understand that they elected us to fight for economic opportunity for all. We need to create America 2.0 — a multicultural, progressive, and innovative country that fights every day for ordinary people," he wrote.

Reuters is reporting that some Democrats believe Ryan isn't a serious challenger to Pelosi's throne and this bid is merely a "publicity stunt."

Still, Ryan seems serious about the move. In his letter, he says that in the coming weeks he will put forth a series of policy prescriptions that he feels will help reconnect his party with the majority of the American public. With a district that includes Akron and Youngstown, both former industrial powerhouse cities now struggling to find a new identity, Ryan may be uniquely qualified to discuss why Americans (and Ohioans) preferred Trump to Clinton, and more broadly why they chose Republican ideology over Democratic ideology.

While it currently seems unlikely that Pelosi would lose her leadership position, the Democrats are experiencing a crisis of identity. Sen. Bernie Sanders is championing Rep. Keith Ellison from Minnesota for the role of Democratic National Convention Chairman. Ellison is the first Muslim in the House. And many within the party feel a strong rebuke of '90s policies of triangulation and middle-grounding is needed to connect with an increasingly left base.

If Ryan's bid is a publicity stunt, it's certainly working. His name has appeared in every major news outlet in the country, and he's made several appearances on MSNBC within the past 48 hours, including interviews with Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews and showing up on "Morning Joe."

Photo from the office of Tim Ryan