Crowley Aide Says He's Not Interested in DCCC Post

WASHINGTON - With a reshuffling of House leadership just around the corner, Queens Democratic leader Joe Crowley is making it clear to his party’s leadership he is not interested in serving as chief of the Democratic House campaign arm.

A senior Crowley aide said today that the congressman has informed Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee executive director Brian Wolff that he would not be seeking the DCCC chairmanship for the 2010 cycle.

Crowley, who as head of the DCCC’s business council is responsible for the committee’s outreach to the business community, has long been mentioned as one of a handful of potential DCCC chairpersons.

Wolff is seen in Capitol Hill circles as close to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is charged with selecting the incoming chair.

“Congressman Crowley hopes to always be engaged in the Democratic caucus, to keep, maintain and expand our majority. But he is not looking to be chair of the DCCC this cycle,” said the senior aide.

The aide noted that Crowley has made it clear to senior DCCC leadership that would be willing to play a role at the committee next cycle in an official or unofficial capacity.

Crowley, serving his fifth term in the House, failed in a 2006 bid for party leadership when he ran for Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus. That has not kept him from fund-raising prodigiously for his party this cycle. To date, he has raised about $1.6 million for vulnerable incumbent and freshman members of the caucus.

Sitting DCCC chair Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland congressman, has not said whether he will seek to head up the committee for a second cycle.
Potential successors to Van Hollen include Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, Kendrick Meek of Florida and Bruce Braley of Iowa.