WASHINGTON _ Rep. Seth Moulton, one of a handful of Democrats leading the crusade against House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's bid to reclaim the speaker's gavel when Democrats become the majority in January, caught heat at a town hall in his district on Monday.
"The majority of Americans want this change. The majority of Democrats want this change," Moulton told constituents at a town hall in Amesbury, Mass., to loud jeers of "no."
He did not cite evidence for his claims.
For now, Democratic voters seem split on the direction of their party's leadership.
A CBS News poll published Monday found that 49 percent of Democratic respondents wanted their caucus to vote for Pelosi for speaker. Forty percent wanted someone else, while 10 percent said they didn't know.
Some of Moulton's critics have accused him of ditching Pelosi because she is old and a woman.
"I didn't see Seth Moulton's effort going this big," Lori Stewart, the vice chair of the Salem Democrats, told the Boston Globe at the town hall. "His effort to go after Nancy at this point feels very sexist and ageist."
Moulton has countered that he has advocated for entirely new leadership _ including booting Pelosi's deputies, presumed House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland and presumed Majority Whip James E. Clyburn of South Carolina _ for two years.
Moulton and Reps. Tim Ryan, Filemon Vela and Kathleen Rice have led the effort to oppose Pelosi, though they have not recruited anyone to challenge the presumptive top choice for speaker.
They have said they would prefer a woman to succeed Pelosi as the House Democratic standard-bearer, considering the precarious optics of a group of mostly men forcing a woman from the most powerful position in the chamber.
Sixteen Democrats signed a letter released Monday saying they will vote against Pelosi for speaker on the House floor.
The letter shows exactly 14 elected Democrats opposed to Pelosi, not technically enough to block her, with Utah's Ben McAdams and New York's Anthony Brindisi leading in their respective races that remained uncalled Tuesday.
Pelosi could afford to lose exactly that many votes and still win the gavel.
But there at least a few members and members-elect who have vowed to oppose Pelosi on the floor that did not sign the letter, including Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.
Moulton and company had expected last week to get at least 20 signatures on the letter, so releasing it with only 16 suggests their opposition movement could be weakening.
Notably absent from the letter is Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge, who is considering challenging Pelosi for speaker. Fudge said she wasn't deterred from running after meeting with Pelosi Friday but that she wouldn't make a decision until after Thanksgiving.
At his town hall Monday, at least one supporter told the Globe she was "loving Seth Moulton" until his recent battle with party leaders.
"The fact that he is dividing us at a time when we have this resounding blue wave, I just can't support him," Isa Leshko, who led an effort to fill Moulton's event with pro-Pelosi protesters, told the Globe.
Democrats will vote within their own caucus on party leadership races after Thanksgiving.
