WASHINGTON -- Before they were competitors in Maryland's high-profile Senate contest, Reps. Donna F. Edwards and Chris Van Hollen were allies in a secret effort to make him the leader of House Democrats, according to a report Wednesday.
The alliance came as some House Democrats were promoting Van Vollen to be a successor to Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. Van Hollen supporters convened a team of seven lawmakers to drum up votes in the caucus to support his ascension to the post.
Edwards, according to a report Wednesday in the New York Times, was a member of the team, which was made up Pelosi allies. Multiple congressional aides speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed the existence of the group to The Baltimore Sun.
The report could complicate Edwards' effort to draw distinctions with Van Hollen in their increasingly heated contest to replace retiring Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski in Maryland. Edwards has attempted to cast herself as more progressive than Van Hollen on entitlements, trade and other issues -- and has suggested he has altered his positions since announcing his Senate campaign.
It is not clear who asked Edwards to be a part of the group, or what her motivations may have been. The group was formed to ensure Van Hollen would have enough votes to defeat Rep. Steny Hoyer, the Southern Maryland lawmaker who is the No. 2 Democrat in the caucus and has long been considered a possible Pelosi successor. Edwards and Hoyer have had a rocky relationship, and her participation may have had as much to do with preventing Hoyer's rise as promoting Van Hollen's.
Still, Van Hollen allies described Edwards' role as tacit support of his record.
"It undermines her central criticism of Chris -- that he is not principled enough and hasn't fought hard enough for progressive causes," a Democratic strategist close to Van Hollen said. "How can you say that when you were supportive of his effort to rise in leadership?"
The Edwards campaign did not dispute the existence of the group or Edwards' involvement, though an aide declined to comment on its potential implications.
Edwards has criticized Van Hollen for supporting free trade agreements that have been opposed by unions and liberal groups. The Prince George's County Democrat has also repeatedly suggested that Van Hollen has not firmly rejected recommendations made by a bipartisan deficit reduction group that included reducing annual cost of living adjustments to Social Security beneficiaries.
Van Hollen, of Montgomery County, has also leveled criticism at Edwards, such as for missing a recent vote in the House on a Department of Defense program that allocates surplus military equipment to local police departments. Edwards has voted against the program in the past, but missed a vote last week to attend a dinner organized by Carroll County Democrats.
Van Hollen has co-sponsored legislation to limit the program, but voted against an amendment last year that would have limited its scope.