Rep. Seth Moulton facing the resistance of the town hall to oppose Pelosi

AMESBURY, Mass. – Pressure from Rep. Seth Moulton against Nancy Pelosi, leader of the House minority, to run for president was the focus of debate on Monday at a city hall in her neighborhood, where voters shouted and interrupted Moulton and a lively debate on the subject. the future of the room.

Moulton (D-Mass.) And some of his constituents say mid-term elections show time for new leadership in House, while critics on Monday dismiss Pelosi's opposition to "sexism" and ageism ".

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"This election was a call for change," Moulton told reporters after the plenary session. "I think if our party responds to this call, this call for change with the incredible victories we've won across the country, just saying that we're going to resettle the same status quo status that we've had since 2006, during more than 10 years, I do not think we meet the call of the American people. "

Pelosi, who has been representing California's districts for 31 years, was former Speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011.

Dozens of people among the 150 people gathered at Amesbury City Hall reacted against Moulton's remarks. Many shouted "no" when he said, "The majority of Democrats want this change." Some protesters wore green signs on one side and red ones on the other. When Moulton or another participant said something they did not like, the demonstrators waved the red signs to signal their disagreement.

The hour-long question-and-answer session is seldom removed from the presidential question. Voters insisted on Moulton's plan to determine who should replace Pelosi as party leader in the House, while a few thanked him for calling for change.

The congressman, who invited Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) to take up the post, said no confirmed candidate had come forward, as it is wiser to wait for him. Announcement of an offer after proving that Pelosi did not have the votes.

Until now, more than a dozen legislators in the House have spoken out against Pelosi, an organizing effort that, according to Moulton, had started Monday for several months. Sixteen members of Congress and elected members signed a letter opposing Pelosi that surfaced Monday afternoon. Among them were Moulton and Representative Stephen Lynch, another member of the Massachusetts delegation who had a difficult relationship with Pelosi over the years.

Pelosi, who launched a charming offensive to convince new MPs, told reporters last week that she would speak "no matter what", referring to Moulton.

Moulton has expressed his opposition to Pelosi since November 2016, just after the election of President Donald Trump. At that time, Moulton had signed a letter from dozens of Democrats in the House calling for new leadership, while several months earlier he had sent a brilliant letter to Pelosi thanking her for her place on the Armed Forces Committee. according to a Boston Globe. report.

A teenage voter cried Monday by asking Moulton a question about gun violence in schools. Moulton said that congressional inaction on issues such as gun reform and climate change, and his pressures for new leadership, had taken on a new meaning for him when his daughter would be born earlier this year. autumn.

After the mid-term elections, two weeks ago, Moulton led the charge to oust Pelosi. Less than 24 hours after polls closed, he was in an hour and a half telephone conversation with other members of the House to discuss leadership options in addition to Pelosi.

The political brand of Moulton is based on the challenge of the establishment. He beat a longtime representative, Rep. John Tierney, in his primary in 2014, and has not had a Democratic challenger since.

This could change in 2020 if some party members leave. The wrestling for the speaker has sparked several calls for a new candidate to defy Moulton at the next primary. The organizers plan to use Crowdpac, an online platform that raises funds for Democratic and independent candidates, to support a Moulton challenger.

The Massachusetts Democrat says he's not worried.

"I won by a primary. The primaries are good, "he told reporters. "I would not be here if I had not taken up the main challenge myself. That's what elections are, and that's exactly the attitude we should have now. I think it's kind of ironic that the same people who say they should at the primary school tell me that we should not have this primary that we currently have in the House of Representatives. "

But if Moulton presents himself in a different position in 2020, it will defeat his project. In addition, many voters in Moulton are not registered on the electoral roll, which means that a rival on his left could be difficult to sell in a Democratic primary. For his part, Moulton said he focused on changing leadership in the House and was "absolutely" running for reelection in 2020.

Monday's demonstration at Moulton Town Hall was organized by artist Isa Leshko and Bambi Snodgrass, director of Freedom North Shore, a women's group from the March of Women. Leshko, a long-time progressive, said the Monday night protest was the first time she organized. She told Moulton that her call for new leadership was a "slap" for women, and pointed out that the letter calling for new leadership in the House, which appeared on Monday, was only signed by two women legislators.

"How can you say you have this huge wave of female support for new leaders?" Asked Leshko.

Another voter told Moulton that the criticism of Pelosi was personal. "I almost have the impression of being targeted," she said. "I am old and I am a woman."

But Moulton denied that his call to a new party leader was based on sex or age.

"I think it's a bit sad, people turned this argument into a sexist argument because women have been running it from the beginning," said Moulton.

He pointed out the representative Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) And said that more women were asking for new leadership behind the scenes than signing the letter. He pointed to several candidates for whom he had campaigned for this cycle and who were seeking new leadership in the House.

Moulton passed the 2018 election cycle across the country campaigning and raising funds for new Democratic candidates endorsed by his PAC Serve America. Eighteen of her picks were elected on November 6th and Serve America won third place total of any democratic PAC leadership.