House Democrats’ campaign chief not re-upping

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Democrats’ House campaign arm rebuffed a request from House leader Nancy Pelosi to guide the party’s political efforts for a third campaign cycle and instead sought another role inside Pelosi’s leadership team.

The chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Rep. Steve Israel of New York, has been publicly saying for months that he did not want another turn at the committee. Pelosi made one more run at Israel on Wednesday, a day after elections that kept Republicans in their majority as expected. Israel told New York’s Newsday that he declined the offer.

“I’ve been really clear with leader Pelosi that I would like to continue to have a seat at the leadership table, because it makes me more effective,” he said in an interview with the Long Island newspaper.

Democrats, as expected, were unable to topple Republicans from their majority in the House. Congressional district borders heavily favor GOP lawmakers, and President Barack Obama remains deeply unpopular in many of those districts.

Even so, the DCCC proved a financial force. The Democrats raised almost $172 million between Jan. 1, 2013, and Oct. 15 of this year.

Only the Republican National Committee fared better among party-linked committees. The RNC raised $177 million.

House Republicans’ campaign arm did not keep pace with Israel’s DCCC. The National Republican Congressional Committee helped the GOP keep the majority but raised $131 million.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up