by Luke Rosiak A 72-year-old black congresswoman accused her fellow Democratic House members of ageism and sexism after they selected a younger black male, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, to lead the House Democratic Caucus on Wednesday. The caucus chairmanship is the fifth-most powerful leadership position. Unlike the hotly contested race, all of the top four were elections in which only one person ran. Both candidates for Caucus chair — Jeffries of Brooklyn and Queens and Barbara Lee of California — are members of the Congressional Black Caucus, an indication of the role identity politics are playing in Democrats’ internal leadership races. “Lee, 72, argued that, with African-American women serving as a backbone to the Democratic Party, it made sense for an African-American woman to serve in Democratic leadership,” The Huffington Post wrote. But when Lee lost the race 123-113, she attributed her loss to ageism and sexism among House Democrats. The Huffington Post wrote: Asked after the vote whether ageism or sexism played a role in the results, Lee replied: “Well, I think you heard and saw what took place. So I absolutely think that’s the case.” The top three House leaders — Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn —…
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