U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio said Thursday he was challenging House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who has led the party in the chamber for 14 years, as Democrats question their strategy and leadership after a stinging general election defeat.

Ryan, 43, who has been in Congress since 2003, said in a statement that Democrats had only been in the House of Representatives majority for four of the past 18 years, "and last week's election results set us back even further."

"Vote for me and I will dedicate all of my energy to lead us back into the majority," said Ryan, who is from an old working-class, steel area of northeastern Ohio, the type of region the Democrats want to wrest back from Republicans.