The Democratic Party is giving candidates leeway to go against Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., if they need to in order to win a seat, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Republicans for years have cast Pelosi, a former House speaker, as an opponent, a generic California liberal who wants to take away guns and raise taxes, the Times noted.
The GOP is already tying Pelosi to Democratic candidates such as Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania. However, Lamb won a special election earlier in March after distancing himself from Pelosi.
Democrats and Pelosi herself did not take aim at Lamb for his disavowing of her. "I just wanted him to win," she said, the Times reported.
The strategy could foil Republican efforts to use Pelosi, but it could also lead to Republicans calling out Democrats who reject her but continue to take money from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, for whom Pelosi is a strong fundraiser.
"If they want to separate themselves from Pelosi, they have to separate themselves from the gravy train as well," said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Matt Gorman.
Democrats would need to gain 24 seats in the House to take back the majority. Candidates in traditionally Republican districts are looking at the Lamb race to see if they should take similar action, according to the report.
"There will be plenty of situations where a candidate may not have a choice and if the party is serious about winning they have (recognize that fact)… if given the choice between a Republican majority and someone else becoming speaker, I think you'd see her (Pelosi) pick a Democratic majority every time,” said Brookings Institution senior fellow John Hudak.
Republicans will continue to use Pelosi to target Democrats, Gorman said. "I know Democrats like to laugh at the strategy, but it works and it has worked and it will continue to work."
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