Ed Case backs Nancy Pelosi for House speaker

Ed Case, who is set to be sworn into Congress on Jan. 3, is supporting U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s bid to be speaker of the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.

Case, who will represent urban Oahu, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he voted for Pelosi during a closed-door caucus in November and plans to cast his vote in favor of Pelosi during the final floor vote on Jan. 3 in which she must win the majority of the full House.

Case said Pelosi was an “accomplished legislator and leader” who has a “special place in her heart for Hawaii.”

Pelosi has been a divisive political figure and has struggled to gain the needed votes within her party to secure her place in the top post. At least 15 Democrats are holding firm in their opposition to Pelosi and plan to vote for someone other than the California congresswoman, Roll Call has reported. With the House expected to seat 235 Democrats, Pelosi can afford to have only 17 members of her party vote for someone else.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who represents the neighbor islands and rural Oahu, told the Star-Advertiser last month that she too was supporting Pelosi.

Case, who will be returning to Congress after being out of office for about a decade, has supported Pelosi in the past. He said that his decision to support her this time around was made after giving it considerable thought.

He said some of his top concerns, which he discussed with Pelosi, included her ability to lead without being too polarizing and whether she would support a more inclusive caucus, as opposed to the top-down leadership style of the past. Case, as with other members of the party, has also wanted to ensure that there will eventually be a smooth transition of leadership to the next generation. Pelosi is 78.

Case also reached out to constituents to hear their views via an emailed survey last month. He said roughly 1,500 people responded, with about 60 percent saying they supported Pelosi’s bid to be House speaker.