PUSHNG FOR THE MITTEN
While Republicans are still figuring out leadership in the now-Republican controlled U.S. House of Representatives, in late November, Democrats passed the torch to a new round of leaders, with New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries the new incoming Minority Leader. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti) was part of a four-person race to be the next House Democratic Caucus vice chair, but ultimately lost out to Rep. Ted Lieu of California. Dingell’s pitch to be part of leadership was that there needed to be a voice from the Midwest in leadership as most of the others in the caucus hierarchy are from the two coasts. According to Punchbowl, before the vote she wrote to her colleagues, “I am running because our Caucus needs a unifying voice at the leadership table who speaks for the working families who feel left behind, a leader who will fight for all our colleagues, and a worker who delivers results.” Following the vote, Dingell, a strong advocate for women, minorities and Michiganders, said, “We’ve got to pull ourselves together. I hope our caucus understands majorities and minorities are made in the Midwest – and that half this caucus is women.”