Rep. Ben Ray Luján elected to head the DCCC

House Democrats on Tuesday voted to elect New Mexico Rep. Ben Ray Luján as the next chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The 42-year-old will replace outgoing DCCC chair Steve Israel and will become the second Latino to hold the leadership position. Rep. Tony Coelho of California chaired the DCCC for three terms in the 1980s.

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As the new head of the DCCC, Luján will be in charge helping his party make a comeback in the 2016 elections by getting more Democrats elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. This will be a difficult task, especially given that Democrats lost at least a dozen seats in the House as a result of this year’s midterm elections.

But Luján said at a press conference on Monday that he is up for the challenge. According to the Associated Press, he told reporters that he wants to “take lessons from the recent elections and get right to work.”

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi joined Luján at the press conference on Monday to announce she had selected him to be the next chairman of the DCCC. She described Luján as a “dynamic and forward-looking leader with the fresh energy and ideas House Democrats need for victory in 2016.”

“Congressman Luján has the bold vision and determined leadership to deliver Democratic wins in difficult districts, and I am confident he will prove a tireless champion for our members and candidates across the country,” Pelosi told reporters on Monday.

Pelosi’s pick came as a surprise to many, as several other Democratic House members had been considered for the position, including Joaquin Castro of Texas, Jared Polis of Colorado and Donna Edwards of Maryland.

Luján was first elected to Congress in 2008 and currently serves as vice chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He is the son of the late Ben Luján, Sr., who once served as the speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives.

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In a statement, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) said Luján’s “tremendous work ethic, strong devotion to democratic values and ‘never quit’ attitude” made him perfect for the job.

“The American people demand a Congress that works for them. I can think of no better individual to take up the task of ensuring that we have such a Congress and that it returns to Democratic hands than Ben Ray Luján,” Becerra said.

On Tuesday, Becerra was re-elected by his colleagues to serve as the as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus for another two years.