THE LAST GASP - Democrat says he's heard Pelosi won't run again for Speaker

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/124835-democrat-says-hes-heard-pelosi-wont-run-again-for-speaker

Democrat says he's heard Pelosi won't run again for Speaker

A House Democratic lawmaker said late last week that he'd heard Nancy Pelosi wouldn't seek another term as Speaker.

Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) said that not only would he not back Pelosi (D-Calif.) for Speaker again, but also that he'd heard she would not seek another term in that position.

"From what we're hearing, she's probably not going to run for Speaker again," McIntyre told WWAY-TV in North Carolina. "And if she does, I'm confident she's going to have opposition, and I look forward to supporting that opposition."

The seven-term centrist Democrat is facing Republican Ilario Pantano in one of the toughest reelection challenges of his career. The district, covering the southern tip of North Carolina, is seen as generally favorable territory for Republicans, though the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as a "lean Democratic" contest.

McIntyre joins the growing flood of Democrats who are saying they will oppose Pelosi as Speaker if Democrats retain the majority. An additional crowd of Democrats — most recently Staten Island Rep. Mike McMahon (D) — have refused to say how they would vote.

The phenomenon isn't unique to Democrats; some Republican candidates have refused to commit to supporting House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) as Speaker if the GOP wins back a majority in the House. Still, Boehner is seen as enjoying broader support than the slowly eroding backing for Pelosi among centrist Democrats.

Pelosi has said she doesn't mind Democrats distancing themselves from her — "I just want them to win," she recently told PBS.

But Pelosi has also generally declined to say whether or not she'd run again for Speaker. It's often been customary for Speakers to step aside and perhaps resign if they lead their party to major losses in elections. Pelosi has shown, though, every intention of running again.