House Dems choose Trahan to help lead their messaging arm

House Democrats named Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) as their new co-chair of the DPCC, the caucus' messaging arm, in a 132-71 vote on Wednesday morning.

Trahan and Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) were vying for the spot vacated by Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who had stepped down weeks before launching his longshot bid for president.

"I'm humbled by the trust that my colleagues have placed in me to help lead the House Policy and Communications Committee," she told reporters. "I ran for this position because I want to do everything in my power to defeat Republicans extremism, retake the House and return the American people to the center of everything that we do."

Trahan, who represents a north-central Massachusetts district, has served in the House since 2019. She’s quietly risen through the party’s ranks, serving as a member of House Minority Whip Katherine Clark’s whip team, a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, and on the Regional Leadership Council advising on the implementation of major legislation from the last Congress.

She’ll join Reps. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) as co-chairs of the messaging arm. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) is its chair.

Neguse told POLITICO he was looking forward to working with Trahan.

“She's been a friend and a treasured colleague and I think she'll do a wonderful job communicating our work to put people over politics each and every day,” he said.