Rep. Bright says he won't vote for Pelosi as Speaker of the House

Conservative Democratic Rep. Bobby Bright said Thursday he won't vote for Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for another term as House Speaker, should Democrats retain their majority. 

Bright is the first House Democrat to say he would not vote for Pelosi, though other conservative Democrats have made noncommittal statements about voting for Pelosi. Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) told The Hill he'd prefer Rep. Ike Skelton (Mo.) as Speaker. 

Bright, an Alabama congressman who voted against the healthcare law, also said he wouldn't vote for House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) for Speaker if the GOP takes control of the House in November.

"I am not going to vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. Neither the leader of the minority party, John Boehner, nor the present Speaker, will get my vote," Bright said in an interview with Alabama television station WSFA. "I will vote for someone, a centrist, who is much more like me."

Bright's statement highlights how Democrats running for reelection in red states are distancing themselves from the Speaker, who is unpopular with many voters, according to several polls.

The congressman is facing a tough reelection battle next month against Republican opponent Martha Roby, who has run ads hitting Bright for supporting Pelosi's agenda. 

Democratic Reps. Chet Edwards (Texas) and John Barrow (Ga.), who also face tough reelection races, have made noncommittal statements about voting for Pelosi next term. A handful of Democratic candidates in red districts have also said they will not vote for Pelosi.

Bright found himself in hot water in August when he ducked a question about his support for Pelosi, saying, "Heck, she might even get sick and die."

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H/t Huffington Post