Democrat Rep. Marcia Fudge had been a potential candidate for House speaker. Now she’s backing Nancy Pelosi for the job.
Fudge says she wanted to “ensure diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels” in the House and she’s “now confident” they can “move forward together.”
Pelosi named Fudge the incoming chairman of a revived elections subcommittee.
Fudge’s decision is a win for Pelosi, who is seeking to shore up support for her speakership bid. It’s also a blow to the group of Democrats trying to block Pelosi from winning.
Pelosi’s fight for the gavel comes on the heels of Democrats picking up at least 37 seats to take control of the House after eight years under Republican rule, and that number could tick up as the remaining undecided races are called.
Pelosi is courting groups as diverse as the Congressional Black Caucus, comprised mostly of progressive members, and the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of 48 centrists.
She has also met with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Blue Dog Coalition, the New Democrat Coalition and the Progressive Caucus.
Fudge found herself in the news today for a separate reason, as she walked back her past support for a man suspected of stabbing his ex-wife.
Fudge was among several officials who wrote letters of support over recent years for Lance Mason, a former county judge and state senator who pleaded guilty in 2015 to beating Aisha Fraser Mason so badly that her face required reconstructive surgery.
Aisha Fraser Mason, a schoolteacher and mother, was fatally stabbed Saturday. Lance Mason is a suspect in the slaying and now faces murder charges.