WASHINGTON _ House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is getting a challenger for her leadership post in the next Congress.
Ohio Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan confirmed Thursday that he is officially seeking the position, after his spokesman told reporters earlier this week that he was "open to the idea."
In a letter to Democratic caucus members, Ryan said that, if elected, he would dedicate all of his energy to winning back the majority. Democrats have lost three consecutive electoral attempts to regain control of the chamber since losing their majority in 2010.
"At this time of fear and disillusionment, we owe it to our constituencies to listen and bring a new voice into leadership," Ryan wrote. "While having a position in Democratic leadership has never been my life's ambition, after this election, I believe we all need to re-evaluate our roles within the caucus, the Democratic Party, and our country."
The Democratic House leadership elections were recently postponed until after the Thanksgiving break and are set to take place Nov. 30.
