Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., avoided questions on Sunday regarding whether he would seek to become the next Speaker of the House if Nancy Pelosi were to step down.
Instead, Schiff reframed the issue by mentioning his efforts toward helping Democrats win in the midterms to keep control of the House.
"The speaker," Schiff told CNN's "State of the Union" host Jake Tapper, "has been truly the most impressive and credible and productive speaker in our history. So I hope that she will stay.
"If she makes the decision not to stay, right now, all I'm focused on is making sure that we are successful in this midterm, that we have a majority to pick the next speaker."
According to Open Secrets, behind Pelosi, Schiff has earned more from fundraising than any other Democratic representative vying for the spot as speaker.
Schiff has raised over $15 million this midterm cycle, with the closest hopeful of the position, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., raising $4.4 million. Behind Jefferies, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., raised $3 million and House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., raised $2.7 million.
Still, Democrats are, according to The Hill, "widely expected to lose control of the House" post-midterms. The speculation that Democrats will lose their majority in the House comes amid myriad factors, including President Joe Biden's poor polling, inflation and other issues both foreign and domestic.