Rep. Keith Ellison is already looking past the midterm elections as he hopes to move up in the progressive world by nabbing the chairmanship of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Ellison sent a letter to members of the progressive caucus Wednesday telling them that he plans to run for chairman when the next Congress convenes.
Ellison wrote that if he becomes chair, he would try to "strengthen our internal cohesion and discipline as a voting bloc."
Currently, the caucus has two co-chairs, Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona and Lynn Woolsey of California. Woolsey has said she does not wish to remain at the head of the caucus after 2010.
Congress has all sorts of caucuses, from ideological ones like the progressive caucus or the Blue Dogs, to shared interest groups like the Congressional Bike Caucus (Rep. Jim Oberstar is a prominent member).
Rep. Michele Bachmann is also a caucus chair after she formed the Tea Party Caucus earlier this year.
