Nancy Pelosi Suffers Another Loss As 25th House Dem Sees Writing On Wall And Will Not Seek Reelection
Speaker Nancy Pelosi suffered another setback when the 25th House Democrat accepted the coming reality of life in the minority and got out while she could. U.S. House Rep Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) just announced she will not seek re-election in 2022.
Cook Political reporter Dave Wasserman explained why this is a significant loss for Pelosi, “Not only the 25th House Dem retirement, but Lawrence is currently the only Black member of Congress from Michigan. No guarantee there will be one in 2023 under the new lines.”
Lawrence represents the 14th district. She succeeded Democrat Gary Peters who was elected to the U.S. Senate. In a video announcement, Lawrence said, “As we have a new redistricting map, a new generation of leaders will step up.
“We need to make sure our elected officials, in Michigan and across this country, look like our communities,”
“It is not lost on me that I am currently the only black member of the Michigan delegation in the House and in the Senate.
“So whether it’s in the halls of Congress, city halls, or local school boards, representation matters.”
This year marks my 30th year in elected public service, and I've had the good fortune of serving Michiganders on the local and national level.
— Brenda Lawrence (@RepLawrence) January 5, 2022
After reflecting on my journey & having conversations with my family, I'm announcing that I will not be seeking re-election to Congress. pic.twitter.com/QBmdExSKaj
In a social media post with the video, Lawrence said:
“This year marks my 30th year in elected public service, and I’ve had the good fortune of serving Michiganders on the local and national level.
“After reflecting on my journey and having conversations with my family, I’m announcing that I will not be seeking re-election to Congress.”
Lawrence also served as Mayor of Southfield, a city in Oakland County, for 13 years.
From Politico:
The four-term Michigan lawmaker had climbed the ranks of the powerful House Appropriations panel, as well as the Congressional Black Caucus, since arriving in the Capitol in 2015.
She also narrowly lost an election for a caucus-wide leadership election two years ago, so her decision to step aside — first reported by the Detroit News — surprised some of her colleagues.
…But the former mayor of Southfield, Mich., had raised some suspicion that she wouldn’t run again, after the state’s new congressional map ditched its two majority-minority districts — virtually eliminating her current seat.
In the reshuffle, Lawrence’s hometown of Southfield had been redrawn into a district now represented by Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.). While Dingell said she would seek a new district in Ann Arbor, Lawrence had privately told colleagues that she wasn’t certain about running in Dingell’s previous district, complaining about how the map divided majority-Black neighborhoods, according to Democratic sources. Lawrence is the only Black member of Michigan’s congressional delegation.
Not only the 25th House Dem retirement, but Lawrence is currently the only Black member of Congress from Michigan. No guarantee there will be one in 2023 under the new lines. https://t.co/7oaXJdk5kU
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) January 5, 2022