Washington(CNN) House Democrats are still picking up the pieces after Hillary Clinton's stunning upset on Tuesday, but are likely to keep Nancy Pelosi in place to continue charting the strategy as their top leader.
Pelosi informed her colleagues in a letter on Friday that the election for leadership posts, originally expected to take place after Thanksgiving, was now scheduled for next Thursday. No member has emerged to challenge the California Democrat for the top spot, but shifting the vote up weeks earlier makes it difficult for anyone to mount a campaign to defeat her.
"Members have indicated a strong desire to proceed with elections next week in order to prepare forcefully for the lame duck session and the challenges we will face in January," Pelosi explained as the reason for the earlier date, adding that "this has been a very sad and trying week for all of us."
Pelosi has not officially announced that she is running for another term, but several House Democratic sources tell CNN she is expected to launch another bid. She held a post-election conference call with stunned Democrats on Wednesday and argued the minority party could have an impact shaping some policies with a Trump White House, pointing to their agreement over approving more federal money to build roads and bridges.
On Friday, a group of 40 female House Democrats boosted her candidacy, signing onto a letter that was circulating that said "our caucus and our country need your strategic, battle-tested leadership to guide us through the years ahead."
They invoked the loss of Clinton as a reason for another woman to remain a leadership voice for the party.
"After everything that happened in this campaign, the defeat of Hillary Clinton is an especially heavy blow to the aspirations of young women and girls. They need to see the first woman speaker -- and every woman member of Congress -- standing firm in the halls of power, continuing the fight for their rights, their dignity, and their dreams," the letter said.