On Wednesday, Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) became the second congressional Democrat to signal will not vote in favor of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi keeping her gavel should the party retain control of the chamber come November.
"My candidate's going to be somebody who's a centrist, preferably somebody who's going to be speaker of the entire House," explained the Georgia Democrat, the Macon Telegraph reports. He added that he's always preferred someone other than Pelosi assuming the leadership role in the House, but he didn't voice his opinion because she had already locked-up a sufficient number of votes.
"There wasn't much point in sticking a thumb in her eye, effectively to no effect, to vote 'no,'" said Marshall. "In this instance I think it's probably best that I announce it in advance."
In a new ad rolled out by Marshall's reelection campaign, the incumbent lawmaker makes his view on the House Speaker very clear.
"Georgia is a long way from San Francisco," says a narrator at the beginning of the 30-second spot as footage of hippies flashes across the screen. "Jim Marshall doesn't support Nancy Pelosi. He voted the same as Republican leaders 65% percent of the time."
Meanwhile, Rep. Bobby Bright (D-Ala.), who came out as the first congressional Democrat to say he would vote against Pelosi to lead Democrats in the House last week, is also out with a new campaign ad taking aim at the Speaker.
"I've heard my constituents and they don't want a liberal running the House," says the Alabama congressman in the 30-second spot. "They want a conservative."
Meanwhile, a growing number of Democrats in addition to Marshall and Bright have issued clear-cut statements putting themselves at odds with the current House Speaker.
While Rep. Travis Childers hasn't ruled out casting a vote on Pelosi's behalf, that hasn't stopped the Mississippi Democrat from dragging his congressional colleague into his contentious and uncertain reelection fight.
"I'd like to see somebody more moderate in that role. I'd like to see a Blue Dog, quite frankly, because I agree with them on most of the issues," said Childers at a debate against his Republican rival on Wednesday night. "I'd like to see somebody in the speaker's seat who's pro-life and pro-gun, like me."
State Sen. Roy Herron, who is running for Tennessee's 8th district House seat, is one non-incumbent candidate who has said he would not support Pelosi for Speaker if elected to the chamber.
"Roy would not be supporting either Nancy Pelosi or John Boehner for Speaker of the House," said Herron spokesman Brandon Puttbrese, the Hill reports. "Roy will support somebody for speaker who is much more in the center. Someone who is closer to the views and values of the 8th District."
According to the Jackson Sun, Herron himself has called both party leaders "too extreme."