This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
With Democrats set to take control of the House next January, Colorado Rep. Joe Neugse is aiming for a higher leadership position in the Democratic caucus.
Neguse is running to be the assistant speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in the next Congress. He sent a letter to his Democratic colleagues, asking for their support in the wake of the midterm elections results that will give the majority to Democrats. Neguse serves the 2nd Congressional District that encompasses north-central Colorado, including Boulder, Fort Collins and Steamboat Springs. He's Colorado's first Black member of Congress.
The assistant speaker position has been the No. 4 post when the Democrats are in the majority, which has been held by the likes of Katherine Clark, who hopes to be majority leader in the next Congress, and now Sen. Ben Ray Lujan. According to a press release, Neguse, if elected, would become the youngest lawmaker in the history of Congress to hold this position.
“As someone who represents a large rural, suburban, and urban district (with agricultural communities extending all the way to the Wyoming border), I’ve long worked hard to effectively serve a broad constituency,” Neguse wrote. “And I’ve adopted that same approach as a member of the leadership team, ensuring voices from across our caucus and the ideological spectrum are elevated, included, and heard.”
Neguse was a co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, and was elected to the “chair of the chairs” position on that committee, before becoming assistant minority leader in the current Congress. He’s also been tapped by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — who is expected to become the next House Speaker — to lead the Litigation Task Force for House Democrats, which has been involved in lawsuits against the Trump administration. He was also tapped by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to be an impeachment manager after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Currently he’s running unopposed for the job. House Democrats are expected to meet Nov. 18-19 to choose their leaders for the next Congress.
No Coloradan has held a position this high in leadership for either party. Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette was chief deputy whip until 2019, while Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet and former Republican Sen. Cory Gardner served as chairs of their party’s campaign arm from 2013-2015 and 2017-19, respectively.
Neguse would add some Mountain West perspective to a Democratic leadership team. Jeffries and Clark are from the East Coast, while Rep. Pete Aguilar, who is expected to be the House majority whip, and Rep. Ted Lieu, who is running to be caucus chair, are both from California.
