Rep. Seth Moulton has voiced opposition to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi since November 2016, just after the election of President Donald Trump. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Congress Rep. Seth Moulton faces town-hall pushback for opposing Pelosi

AMESBURY, Mass. — The push by Rep. Seth Moulton against House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's bid to become speaker took center stage on Monday night at a town hall in his district, where constituents shouted and interrupted Moulton and one another in a lively debate over the future of the chamber.

Moulton (D-Mass.) and some of his constituents say the midterm elections show that it’s time for new leadership in the House, while his critics on Monday night called his opposition to Pelosi a product of sexism and ageism.


“This election was a call for change,” Moulton told reporters after the town hall. “I think if our party answers that call, that call for change with the amazing victories we had across this country, by just saying we’re going to reinstall the same status quo leadership we’ve had since 2006, for over 10 years, I don’t think we’re answering the call of the American people.”

Pelosi, who has represented districts in California for 31 years, previously served as speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011.

Dozens among the 150 people crowded into the Amesbury Town Hall pushed back against Moulton’s comments. Several shouted “no” when he said, “The majority of Democrats want this change.” Some protesters held signs that were green on one side and red on the other. When Moulton or another attendee said something they didn’t like, the protesters held up the red signs to signal disagreement.

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The hourlong question-and-answer session rarely strayed from the speakership question. Constituents pressed Moulton on his plan for who should replace Pelosi as party chief in the House, while a few thanked him for calling for change.

The congressman, who has floated Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) for the post, said a confirmed candidate hadn’t emerged because it is smartest to wait to announce a bid for speaker after it is proved that Pelosi doesn't have the votes.

So far, more than a dozen House lawmakers have come out against Pelosi for the position, an organizing effort that Moulton said on Monday had been underway for several months. Sixteen congressional members and members-elect signed on to a letter opposing Pelosi that surfaced Monday afternoon. Among them were Moulton and Rep. Stephen Lynch, another member of the Massachusetts delegation who has had a testy relationship with Pelosi over the years.

Pelosi, who has been on a charm offensive to win over new lawmakers, told reporters last week that she’d be speaker “no matter what he says,” referring to Moulton.

Moulton has voiced opposition to Pelosi since November 2016, just after the election of President Donald Trump. At that time, Moulton signed on to a letter from several dozen House Democrats who called for new leadership, even though months earlier he’d sent a glowing letter to Pelosi thanking her for his spot on the Armed Services Committee, according to a Boston Globe report.

A teenage constituent was brought to tears on Monday while asking Moulton a question about gun violence in schools. Moulton said the inaction in Congress on issues like gun reform and climate change, and his push for new leadership, took on a new meaning for him when his daughter was born earlier this fall.

After the midterm elections two weeks ago, Moulton led the charge to oust Pelosi. Less than 24 hours after the polls closed, he was on a 90-minute call with other House members to discuss leadership options besides Pelosi.

Moulton’s political brand is built on challenging the establishment. He beat a longtime incumbent, Rep. John Tierney, in his 2014 primary, and hasn’t had a Democratic challenger since.

That could change in 2020 if some members of the party have their way. The fight for speaker has sparked several calls for a new candidate to challenge Moulton in the next primary. Organizers are considering using Crowdpac, an online platform that raises money for Democratic and independent candidates, to support a Moulton challenger.

The Massachusetts Democrat says he isn’t worried.

“I won by a primary. Primaries are good,” he told reporters. “I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t taken on a primary challenge myself. That’s what elections are all about, and that’s exactly the attitude that we should have right now. I think it’s sort of ironic the same people saying they should primary me are saying we shouldn’t have that primary we’re having right now in the House of Representatives.”

But if Moulton runs for a different office in 2020, that will foil plans to challenge him. Additionally, many of Moulton’s constituents aren’t enrolled as voters, meaning a challenger to his left could be a hard sell in a Democratic primary. For his part, Moulton says he’s focused on changing the leadership in the House, and is “absolutely” running for reelection in 2020.

The Monday night protest at Moulton’s town hall was organized by artist Isa Leshko and Bambi Snodgrass, director of Freedom North Shore, a women’s group that came out of the Women’s March. A longtime progressive, Leshko said Monday night’s protest was her first time organizing. She told Moulton his call for new leadership felt like a “slap in the face” to women, and pointed out that the letter calling for new House leadership that surfaced on Monday included signatures from only two female lawmakers.

“How can you say you have this huge outpouring of female support for new leadership?” Leshko asked.

Another constituent told Moulton that criticism of Pelosi felt personal. “I almost feel like I’m targeted,” she said. “I’m old and I’m a woman.”

But Moulton denied that his call for a new party leader was based on gender or age.

“I think it’s kind of sad people have turned this into a sexist argument, because women have been leading it from the very beginning,” Moulton said.

He pointed to Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) and said more women were pushing for new leadership behind the scenes than signed on to the letter. He pointed to several candidates he campaigned for this cycle who ran on getting new leadership in the House.

Moulton spent the 2018 election cycle traveling the country campaigning and raising money for new Democratic candidates endorsed by his Serve America PAC. Eighteen of his picks were elected Nov. 6, and Serve America raised the third-highest total of any Democratic leadership PAC.