Washington – Rep. Diana DeGette would consider running for majority whip if the Democrats take control of the U.S. House, the Denver Democrat has said for the first time.
“There’s a group of members that’s been urging me to run for whip,” DeGette said Friday. “It’s definitely something I would look at if we take the majority.”
Until now, DeGette has been reluctant to discuss her ambitions for a leadership position in the next Congress.
The majority-whip job is the third-highest-ranking post in the U.S. House. The whip would try to get as many Democrats as possible to vote the party line.
It is one of the most partisan jobs in the House, said Tom Ochs, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist.
“She’s a very formidable politician, but she also has got sort of a nice way about her,” Ochs said. “She’s smart. She’s articulate. She would be a fresh face.”
DeGette would compete against Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, leader of the House Democratic Caucus and the sole African-American in top Democratic leadership.
Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is also mentioned as a possible contender. Several Democrats suggested he would have support from most Democrats if he wants the job.
Asked if she would take on Clyburn or Emanuel, or both, DeGette said, “It’s just something I would have to look at. I would have to talk to a lot of members.”
