Larson Now Likely To Keep Leadership Job

Top House Democrats reached a deal late Friday night to keep their entire current leadership team in place, avoiding a divisive internal fight as they seek to recover from sweeping election losses.

The agreement means that Rep. John Larson, who represents Connecticut's 1st Congressional District, is all but certain to keep his spot as caucus chairman, the No. 4 slot on the leadership ladder.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is vying to stay on as minority leader when Republicans take control in the next Congress, announced Friday night that she would create a new, still-undefined leadership job for Rep. James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat and the highest ranking African-American lawmaker in the House.

"Should I receive the honor of serving as House Democratic Leader, I will nominate Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina to the number three leadership position," Pelosi said in a statement released at about 11 p.m. Friday.

"Over the past four years, Congressman Clyburn's effective leadership in the Whip's Office was crucial to our passage of historic legislation on jobs, health care, veterans and Wall Street reform on behalf of the American people," Pelosi said.

Clyburn is currently the House Majority Whip, the No. 3 spot. With their loss of 60 House seats, Democrats faced having one less leadership slot to fill when they hand the Speaker's gavel to the GOP come January.

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