Ted Lieu Is Running For A Congressional Leadership Post-- Can You Help?

Admirers of Ted Lieu keep asking why he doesn't run for Speaker-- or at least DCCC chair. That's easy, he has two young sons and he flies back to L.A. every weekend to play his role in their lives. That isn't something a Speaker or a DCCC chair could do. As much as I'd like to see Ted in one of those positions, I respect the reason he's not going for it.

Instead, he's opting for a more modest leadership position-- one of the 3 co-chairs of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Never heard of 'em? Remember "Better Jobs-Better Pay-Better PizzaBetter Future?" That was the DPCC accomplishment for 2018. I suspect Congressman Lieu thinks he can do better. If you watch his twitter feed, you probably feel the same way.

So far, there are at least half a dozen members running: besides Ted Lieu, Matt Cartwright (PA), Debbie Dingell (MI), John Garamendi (CA), Chrissy Houlahan (PA), Adriano Espaillat (NY) and David Cicilline (RI), who was one of the co-chairs last cycle. When Ted explained to his colleagues how he saw his job, he told them that "As the majority party, we will need bold, inclusive messaging that inspires the American people and works for every Member of the Caucus. Our message should serve at least three purposes: retain incumbents, expand our Caucus, and pass meaningful legislation... Just as important as the content of our message is how we deliver the message. Americans are bombarded daily with multiple streams of information from multiple entities. Breaking through a congested media environment requires leveraging as many types of communications and organizations as we can, ranging from social media to student groups to think tanks to faith organizations."

Ted was elected Freshman Class President when he first got to Congress and was then chosen as an Assistant Whip. This past cycle he was the most successful Vice-Chair of the DCCC, helping elect 9 new members on the West Coast. He's raised millions of dollars for the candidates in his region and his work helping to elect veterans across the country has resulted in VoteVets endorsing his bid for the DPCC.

You and I don't get to vote in this election. Only members vote. So, what can we do to help Ted with this? We each have a member of Congress who represents each of our districts. You can call or e-mail yours and suggest that they vote for Ted. Tell him or her why you think so.