A growing number of Democratic House candidates are publicly denouncing Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi ahead of the 2018 midterms, while others are apparently working to limit her stain on their campaign.

Pelosi recently headlined a fundraiser at an Oceanside mansion to haul in $100,000 for California Democrat Harley Rouda, who hopes to wrest control of his Laguna Beach district from Republican incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher.

But Rouda’s ties to Pelosi is something he likes to keep on the down-low.

“Even as he held a fundraiser with Pelosi, Harley Rouda has not said publicly whether or not he’d vote for her as leader” if Democrats take control of the House, National Public Radio reports. “And before the meet-and-greed with campaign volunteers, a Rouda staffer reminded the audience ‘not to post anything on social media’ about the event.”

Pelosi told folks there she’s certain Democrats will soon control the lower chamber, it’s just a matter of how badly Republicans will lose in November.

“Will it be a tsunami or will it be a wave?” she said at the secret mansion fundraiser. “Either case it’s tiny little drops of water, and all of them close races.”

The 78-year-old career politician doubled down the next day during an interview with NPR at Democrat Mike Levin’s campaign headquarters.

“I have every confidence that we’ll win,” she said. “Not because I’m taking anything for granted, but because we’re not yielding one grain of sand. This is urgent.”

Pelosi also dismissed the growing chorus of Democrats calling for fresh leadership, and chided a reporter for broaching the issue.

“It’s the least important question you could ask,” she told NPR, “with all due respect to your list of questions there.”

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She contends Democratic candidates have more important things to discuss than who will serve as speaker of the House should the party win a majority in November.

“You wake up each day thinking, what can I do to advance what I believe in, to make the future better. And then some reporter comes up and asks you: ‘who are you going to vote for for leader?’” Pelosi said. “The most important thing is, what does this election mean for the American people?”

Despite reports that well over four dozen Democrats want Pelosi to bow out, she contends the numbers are on her side.

“We have 430 candidates. How many have you head from?” she asked and NPR reporter.

“I’m a numbers person when it comes to counting votes for legislation,” she said. “Passing the Affordable Care Act, the Recovery Act, the list goes one – Wall Street reform and the rest. And I’m a numbers person when it comes to my own possibilities in Congress.”