Rep. Hilda Solis (Calif.) is strongly considering a bid for the Democratic Caucus vice chairmanship if the position becomes available with the departure of her home-state colleague, Rep. Xavier Becerra, according to sources.

Solis has already ascended the leadership ladder, being appointed recently to the Steering and Policy Committee, but she is looking to climb higher.

A spokeswoman for Becerra stressed that no formal offer has been made, adding that the lawmaker and President-elect Obama are “continuing their discussions about the job.”

While Becerra would become the second Hispanic to join the upper ranks of the Obama administration — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) has been selected as the next Commerce secretary — he is the only Hispanic member of the House Democratic leadership team.

His departure would yield “a complete void there,” said a Democratic aide. “In no form or fashion would Hispanics have direct representation at the leadership table.”

That would give Solis an opportunity to argue for her election as the best way to fill that void. Should Becerra leave Congress, the four-term lawmaker will make the “natural transition” pitch to the caucus, according to aides familiar with her strategy.

And given the make-up of the caucus, the growing influence that Hispanic voters have in Democratic politics and the commitment from Obama to put comprehensive immigration reform on his agenda, the argument to elect a Hispanic to replace Becerra could resonate.

In addition to citing his friendship with and respect for Becerra, Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) — who became the early favorite of the centrists for caucus vice chairman — said diversity among the top ranks of the caucus was an important consideration in his decision not to run for the job.

Crowley may run for Becerra’s post, while Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) has indicated she will definitely run.

A Solis candidacy, meanwhile, faces hurdles.

For starters, Solis is close to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — some say too close.

Some top aides have described the 41-year-old legislator as a “Pelosi spy.” And there is concern among some House Democrats that there are too many leadership officials and committee chairmen who are staunch backers of the Speaker.

Solis may also suffer from what many are describing as the severe “California fatigue” in the lower chamber, especially in light of Rep. Henry Waxman’s (D-Calif.) successful bid for the Energy and Commerce Committee chairmanship.

Becerra’s and Solis’s districts share a border, and are just one urban congressional district away from Waxman’s Beverly Hills district.

Aside from raw geography, “people will have an issue with another Californian,” said a leadership aide.
And that sentiment may trump any residual argument for diversity.

Solis, who was just elected by her Congressional Hispanic Caucus colleagues to become the second vice chairwoman of that body, is so far the only CHC member seriously considering getting into any new leadership opening that may emerge. She could not be reached for comment on Monday.

But other Democrats are already gearing up for another shot at a leadership position. And some of those members are hoping to be better able to capitalize on any California or Pelosi fatigue than they were in November.

Kaptur, who was the only Democrat to challenge Becerra, said she will reconstitute her “heartland strategy” in a second attempt at winning the vice chairmanship.

“As people have read the story about Mr. Becerra’s wonderful opportunity, they’ve come up to me and said, ‘You now have my vote,’ ” Kaptur said. “I feel we came out of there with a greater understanding on the part of the caucus saying, ‘My gosh, we didn’t realize there was a hole in the vast middle.’ People were really surprised from all over the country.”

Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told The Hill last week that she would consider running for an open vice chairmanship, but on Monday was tapped by Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) to lead the DCCC’s incumbent retention program.

A number of aides from divergent Democratic circles said, at this point, any race is essentially Crowley’s to lose.

Crowley, an impressive fundraiser, has not made a formal announcement, but he is building support for a run, Democratic aides said.

Crowley would also likely have most of the support of the growing Blue Dog Coalition, aides to Blue Dog members said Monday.

“The caucus just needs a break from the Pelosi cabal,” a centrist aide said. “That wasn’t in the cards the first time around. But, if Becerra leaves, things have changed.”