Yesterday, Congressman Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) challenged Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the position of Minority Leader in the 112th U.S. Congress. Congressman Shuler was greeted with strong support from across the Democratic Caucus, winning the votes of 43 of his colleagues.
"I am proud of the support I received from my fellow Democrats," said Rep. Shuler, who was nominated by Blue Dog Representatives Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Mike Ross (D-AR) and seconded by Rep. Larry Kissell (D-NC). "It was never about winning; it was about giving the moderates a voice in this Caucus. We are strong because we are a big tent party, not in spite of it. Today we proved that we will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the next Congress, and I am proud to be a leader in that effort.
I have always prided myself on my ability to work with people regardless of political affiliation, and I look forward to getting to work in the next Congress to develop middle-of-the-road solutions to the problems facing this country."
Representative Shuler was recently elected as the leader of the fiscally responsible Democratic Blue Dog Coalition.
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