Story highlights Seth Moulton is rolling out a list Thursday of eight House candidates he is backing

The endorsements come on top of travel to early presidential primary states

Washington (CNN) Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts -- who has vented for months about House Democrats' leadership -- has big ambitions for the military veterans he is backing in the 2018 midterm elections.

"I'm literally recruiting a new generation of leaders for the party," he said in an interview Wednesday.

The 39-year-old Marine veteran who served four tours of duty in Iraq has emerged as a leading fund-raiser and candidate recruiter for Democrats, even as he has called to oust House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Moulton is rolling out a list Thursday of eight more House candidates -- all military veterans -- he is endorsing in the 2018 midterm elections. That brings the list of Moulton-backed candidates to 19.

The endorsements come on top of a travel schedule that has included recent trips to Iowa for a steak fry in Des Moines and to New Hampshire ahead of this year's municipal elections. It's all fed speculation that Moulton could be eyeing a 2020 presidential run -- and has elevated him into conversations about the list of vice presidential prospects.

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