Dems downplay whispers of coup against Steny Hoyer

A number of House Democrats are dismissing the threat to Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) following a news report revealing younger members in the caucus are hoping to prevent him from succeeding Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Hoyer, the 75-year-old Democratic whip, has been standing one step behind Pelosi for more than a decade, after he challenged her unsuccessfully for the minority whip spot in 2001, and he’s eager to move up the ladder should she step down.

But House Democrats have been licking their wounds following a disastrous 2014 election cycle, and there’s a lingering concern the party will need fresh faces if it hopes to regain control of the lower chamber any time soon.

Against that backdrop, some of Pelosi’s closest allies held a series of secret talks this year designed to whip support for Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) to replace her whenever she does leave Capitol Hill, The New York Times Magazine reported Wednesday.

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http://thehill.com/homenews/house/242764-dems-downplay-whispers-of-coup-against-steny-hoyer