How does leadership in the Democratic Party happen?

[ismnotwasm]

Do body members elect someone? Is there mentorship? Do leaders lose elections? How does losing power in the house or Senate affect leadership? How does gaining power affect it? Are certain committees more desirable for gaining higher profile than others? Does age factor in, or is it experience and the ability to make connections? Is it a popularity contest? Is it all of these factored and more?

What’s your opinion/ knowledge?

[beachbumbob]

1. Answer is yes and more.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Prospective leaders are put in a room with all these cats. The person who can best herd the cats ...

[ismnotwasm]

5. lol

A good method

[frazzled]

3. When in doubt, google

It’s so easy

The floor leaders and whips of each party are elected by a majority vote of all the senators of their party assembled in a conference or, as it sometimes is called, a caucus. The practice has been to choose the leader for a two-year term at the beginning of each Congress. The majority and minority leaders are the elected spokespersons on the Senate floor for their respective political parties.

https://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_index_subjects/Leadership_vrd.htm

[ismnotwasm]

4. There seems to be a misconception of power gained and lost

I’m interested in how people think it’s acquired

[frazzled]

7. The members know who is good at administering

Who can form good relationships with a variety of members with differing needs and views for their states, who can negotiate well inside the caucus and with the opposition, who knows how to lead, who even wants to do it.

Not everyone has these skills, or even the desire to carry them out.

[zipplewrath]

9. Raising money

Unfortunately, alot of it is connected to someones ability to raise money for other members, and the party in general. It's how you collect supporters.

[bigtree]

6. mostly osmosis

...

[ismnotwasm]

8. *snort*

Good point