A majority of registered voters want someone aside from Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to be the speaker of the U.S. House, according to a new poll.
And among members of her own party, a bare majority of 53% say she should stay in the powerful post, which is third in line for the presidency, according to the Morning Consult/Politico poll.
“House Democrats’ underperformance in the 2020 elections leaves Speaker Nancy Pelosi with little breathing room for the chamber’s January vote to decide whether she retains the gavel in the 117th Congress,” Morning Consult said.
Among all voters, 56% said Democrats should find a new leader.
In the U.S. House, Democrats lost about a dozen seats, with some results still contested. Any defection by as few as a handful of Democrats would result in Pelosi losing a vote.
The poll found that among Democrats, 53% said Pelosi should remain, 14% were uncertain and 33% called for “someone else.” For all voters, 31% said Pelosi should stay, 13% were uncertain and 56% want someone else.
Among Republicans, 48% want House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy to remain, 25% are uncertain and 28% say someone else. For all voters, regarding GOP leadership, 26% say McCarthy should stay, 34% don’t know and 40% want someone else.
“Technically, Pelosi and McCarthy — as well as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — have already been re-elected by their caucuses for another term,” Morning Consult said. “But in Pelosi’s case, House rules dictate that speakers must garner 218 votes on the floor — a majority of the chamber.
“Most nonpartisan elections analysts projected that House Democrats would add at least a handful of seats to their column during the 2020 elections. Instead, the GOP ate into their ranks, picking up at least 10 seats. As a result, Pelosi will not be able to afford many defections for January’s vote if she hopes to maintain her grip on the chamber.”
Pelosi has been criticized by members of her party for her rejection of numerous coronavirus-relief proposals prior to the election. Now that Biden is the presumed president-elect, she’s willing to sign off on a smaller plan.
Also, a crop of newcomers to the House has been critical of Pelosi. Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said that it was time for Pelosi to step aside.
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