A Democratic member of Congress still votes for Democratic leadership. I remember Kristi Noem in 2010 emphasizing that she would not vote to make Nancy Pelosi Speaker.
Both parties do it. I believe Democrats used it against Lincoln Chaffee in 2006, arguing that a vote for him was a vote for a Republican Senate Majority Leader.
This makes sense. So congress is increasingly becoming like a parliamentarian system where you vote based on who you want to lead the house. Voters just didn't want Nancy Pelosi to stay as majority leader.
Why are democrats keeping her as leader if she has been rejected.
Because she's the best at her job we've had since Tip O'Neil.
