# 2018 United States House of Representatives Democratic Caucus leadership election

A leadership election was held by the United States House of Representatives Democratic Caucus before the beginning of the 116th United States Congress on January 3, 2019. The election determined who will be nominated by the caucus for the speakership election as well as who would occupy other leadership positions within the House Democratic Caucus. The following positions were nominated or elected on November 29: Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, House Majority Leader, House Majority Whip, House Assistant Majority Leader, Democratic Caucus Chair, and Democratic Caucus Vice Chair. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair, the Policy and Communications Committee's Chair and its three Co-Chairs, Junior Caucus Representative and Freshman Class Representative were elected the next day, and a third co-chair was added to the Steering and Policy Committee by the Leader.

## Nominee for Speaker
### Candidates

* Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Minority Leader and former and current Speaker
* U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi from California

### Potential candidates

* Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), Chair of the New Democrat Coalition (supported Pelosi)
* Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) (opposed Pelosi)
* Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee (supported Pelosi)
* Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
* U.S. Representative Jim Himes from Connecticut
* U.S. Representative Seth Moulton from Massachusetts
* U.S. Representative Adam Schiff from California
* U.S. Representative Frank Pallone from New Jersey

### Declined

* Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), former Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (ran for Democratic Caucus Chair)
* Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) (running for President of the United States in 2020)
* Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus (withdrew from race for DCC)
* Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (ran for DCC)
* Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH), former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and replacement Permanent Chair of the 2016 Democratic National Convention (supported Pelosi)
* Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House Minority Whip and former House Majority Leader (ran for and won House Majority Leader)
* Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (ran for and won Democratic Caucus Chair)

### Results

Democratic Caucus Speaker of the United States House of Representatives nomination election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Nancy Pelosi | 203 | 84.94% |
| | Democratic | Opposing Nancy Pelosi | 32 | 13.39% |
| | Democratic | Blank ballot | 3 | 1.26% |
| | Democratic | Absent | 1 | 0.42% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 239 | 100% |

## Majority Leader
### Candidates

* Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House Minority Whip and former House Majority Leader

### Results

Democratic Caucus Majority Leader election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Steny Hoyer | Acclamation | 100% |
| | Democratic | Absent | 1 | 0.42% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 239 | 100% |

## Majority Whip
### Candidates

* Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), House Assistant Minority Leader and former House Majority Whip

### Withdrew

* Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), member of the House Minority chief deputy whip team

### Results

Democratic Caucus Majority Whip election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jim Clyburn | Acclamation | 100% |
| | Democratic | Absent | 1 | 0.42% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 239 | 100% |

## Democratic Assistant Leader
### Candidates

* Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Chair of the DCCC

### Withdrawn

* Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) (running for Chair of the DCCC)
* Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (running for Chair of the DPCC)

### Results

Democratic Caucus Assistant Majority Leader election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Ben Ray Luján | Acclamation | 100% |
| | Democratic | Absent | 1 | 0.42% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 239 | 100% |

## Democratic Caucus Chair
### Candidates

* Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), former Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus
* Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee and member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus

### Withdrawn

* Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus (withdrew after husband's federal indictment)

### Endorsements
#### U.S. representatives

* Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)
* Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA)
* Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
* Rep. Joaquín Castro (D-TX)
* Rep. John Lewis
* Rep. Ro Khanna
* Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-NC)
* Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
* Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
* Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA)
* Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
* Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)

#### Organizations

* National Organization for Women
* Indivisible movement
* Color of Change
* NARAL Pro-Choice America
* Feminist Majority Foundation

#### Individuals

* Cecile Richards, former President and CEO of Planned Parenthood
* Ady Barkan, activist

### Results

Democratic Caucus Chair election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries | 123 | 51.46% |
| | Democratic | Barbara Lee | 113 | 47.28% |
| | Democratic | Absent | 1 | 0.42% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 239 | 100% |

## Democratic Caucus Vice Chair
### Candidates

* Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), DCCC Recruitment Vice Chair and member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
* Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Whip and member of the New Democrat Coalition

### Results

Democratic Caucus Vice-Chair election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Katherine Clark | 144 | 60.25% |
| | Democratic | Pete Aguilar | 90 | 37.66% |
| | Democratic | Absent | 5 | 2.09% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 234 | 100% |

## DCCC Chair
### Candidates

* Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee and DCCC "Heartland Engagement" Chair
* Rep. Denny Heck (D-WA), DCCC Recruitment Chair
* Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), DCCC Finance Co-Chair

### Withdrawn

* Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) (withdrew due to hospitalization)

### Results

Democratic Caucus DCCC Chair election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Cheri Bustos | 117 | |
| | Democratic | Denny Heck | 83 | |
| | Democratic | Suzan DelBene | 32 | |
| | Democratic | Absent | 3 | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 232 | 100% |

## DPCC Chair

This is a newly created position of the United States House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee which will rank above the three current co-chairs.

### Candidates

* Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee

### Results

Democratic Caucus DPCC Chair election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | David Cicilline | Acclamation | 100% |
| | Democratic | Absent | 1 | 0.42% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 239 | 100% |

## DPCC Co-Chairs
### Candidates

* Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA)
* Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI)
* Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)
* Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA)
* Rep.-elect Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)
* Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA)

### Results

Democratic Caucus DCCC Chair election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Ted Lieu | 161 | |
| | Democratic | Debbie Dingell | 144 | |
| | Democratic | Matt Cartwright | 119 | |
| | Democratic | Chrissy Houlahan | 107 | |
| | Democratic | Adriano Espaillat | 90 | |
| | Democratic | John Garamendi | 44 | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | | 100% |

## Junior Caucus Representative
### Candidates

* Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
* Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL)

### Results

Democratic Caucus Junior Caucus Representative election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jamie Raskin | 65 | |
| | Democratic | Terri Sewell | 57 | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | | 100% |

## Freshman Class Representatives
### Candidates

* Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO)

### Results

Democratic Caucus Freshman Class Representatives election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | % |
| | Democratic | Katie Hill | |
| | Democratic | Joe Neguse | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 100% |