Nancy Pelosi, other US House leaders to host event for Wendy Davis as she nears congressional run

An invitation obtained by The Texas Tribune says the event is "in support of her campaign for Texas CD 21."

Wendy Davis is getting support from some of the highest-ranking Democrats in Congress — including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — as she appears to move closer to run for Texas' 21st Congressional District.

Pelosi and other House leaders have invited potential supporters to a meeting with Davis on Tuesday evening in Washington, D.C., according to an invitation obtained by The Texas Tribune. The co-hosts include nine of the 13 Democrats in the Texas congressional delegation.

The invitation obtained by the Tribune does not explicitly ask for donations to Davis but says the meeting is "in support of her campaign for Texas CD21" and includes a link to donate online.

The meeting is taking place at a townhouse affiliated with the political action committee Bold PAC, the campaign arm for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and one of its members, Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, is the lead organizer, according to a House leadership source.

The House leaders involved in the meeting include Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip James Clyburn, Assistant House Speaker Ben Ray Luján, Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries and Caucus Vice Chair Katherine Clark.

The Texas delegation participants are Vela and Democratic Reps. Colin Allred of Dallas, Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, Lloyd Doggett of Austin, Veronica Escobar of El Paso, Sylvia Garcia of Houston, Eddie Bernice Johnson of Dallas, Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston and Marc Veasey of Fort Worth.

Davis, a former state senator from Fort Worth who unsuccessfully ran for Texas governor after her famous 2013 filibuster of an anti-abortion bill, has been exploring a run against U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin. Roy is a national Democratic target after he won the seat last year by less than 3 percentage points. At least one other Democrat, Jennie Lou Leeder, is already running.

BY PATRICK SVITEK