Rep. Ruben Kihuen is just the latest lawmaker to be entangled in sexual harassment accusations sweeping Capitol Hill. And the swift response shows Democratic leaders are likely to take a tougher stance toward future accusations. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Freshman Democrat urged to resign after sexual harassment allegations

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is calling on Nevada Rep. Ruben Kihuen to resign amid allegations that the freshman Democrat sexually harassed a campaign staffer during the 2016 election.

"In Congress, no one should face sexual harassment in order to work in an office or in a campaign. The young woman’s documented account is convincing, and I commend her for the courage it took to come forward," Pelosi said in a statement after talking with Kihuen. "In light of these upsetting allegations, Congressman Kihuen should resign."


Kihuen is accused of making repeated, unwanted sexual advances toward a woman who worked as his campaign finance director, according to a report published by BuzzFeed on Friday.

The woman, whom BuzzFeed refers to only by her first name, Samantha, says Kihuen “propositioned her for dates and sex despite her repeated rejections. On two occasions, she says he touched her thighs without consent.” Samantha worked for Kihuen’s campaign from December 2015 until April 2016.

Earlier in the day, the leader of House Democrats’ campaign arm also said Kihuen should step down.

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“Members and candidates must be held to the highest standard. If anyone is guilty of sexual harassment or sexual assault, they should not hold elected office. Congressman Kihuen should resign,” Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement.

Kihuen signaled Friday evening that he did not intend to resign.

“The staff member in question was a valued member of my team. I sincerely apologize for anything that I may have said or done that made her feel uncomfortable," he said in a statement. "I take this matter seriously as it is not indicative of who I am, but I want to make it clear that I don’t recall any of the circumstances she described. I was raised in a strong family that taught me to treat women with the utmost dignity and respect. I have spent my fifteen years in public service fighting for women’s equality, and I will continue to do so.”

Kihuen is just the latest lawmaker to be entangled in sexual harassment accusations sweeping Capitol Hill. And the swift response from Luján shows Democratic leaders are likely to take a tougher stance toward future accusations.

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) both face multiple sexual harassment allegations. And it was revealed Friday that Rep. Blake Farenthold used a congressional account to settle a sexual harassment claim with his former spokeswoman in 2014.

Democratic lawmakers and aides had been whispering about the accusations against Kihuen on Friday before the report was published. Kihuen was seen having a long and seemingly intense conversation with Luján and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on the House floor Friday.

In a statement later Friday, Hoyer said, "I spoke to Rep. Kihuen about these allegations today, which I find very concerning, and he told me that these allegations aren’t true. If they are found to be true, he should resign."

The woman told BuzzFeed that she told a midlevel DCCC staffer why she was quitting the campaign. That staffer no longer works for DCCC and said he told only one other colleague about the call, thinking the Kihuen campaign staffer did not want "the DCCC to escalate it."

Kihuen's Democratic primary opponent in 2016, Lucy Flores, who served with the congressman in the Nevada Legislature, said she wasn't surprised by the allegations.

"Even though he maintained a girlfriend, he was known to be very flirtatious and hands on," she said. "I personally witnessed him being grabby with young, attractive women. ... I can certainly confirm that was the reputation he maintained [in the state Legislature]."

Kihuen’s 4th Congressional District in Nevada leans Democratic, but Republicans have been competitive in recent elections and the allegations against Kihuen could jeopardize his party’s hold on the seat. Republican Cresent Hardy won the district in 2014 before losing to Kihuen by 4 points in 2016.

Republican Stavros Anthony, a Las Vegas city councilman, has already launched a campaign against Kihuen. And there is plenty of time for a Democratic primary challenger to jump in as well: Candidate filing for the June primary closes on March 16, 2018, according to the Clark County Election Department.

Scott Bland contributed to this report.