HARRISBURG — Rep. Bill DeWeese said Friday he has decided not to seek another term as Democratic leader in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in an effort to avoid a potentially bruising leadership battle.

DeWeese told The Associated Press that he plans to run for whip instead, which would be the third-ranking position if his party controls the chamber as expected. He threw his support behind Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, to become majority leader in the two-year session that starts in January.

DeWeese said he felt he could assemble enough votes to remain majority leader but feared that doing so might damage caucus unity.

"I thought a brutalizing effort ... could potentially reach the meager threshold, but again, to what end?" he said in a phone conversation that followed dinner in Philadelphia with Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans, a pivotal figure in House Democrats' internal politics.

Both parties in the House have scheduled reorganizational meetings for Tuesday. The other candidates for majority leader are expected to be Rep. Kathy Manderino of Philadelphia and three representatives from Allegheny County: David Levdansky, Joseph Markosek and Frank Dermody. The closed-door vote is by secret ballot.

The slate of Democratic whip candidates is expected to be DeWeese, Rep. Peter Daley of Washington County and Rep. Bill Keller of Philadelphia. But other candidates could emerge, and many within the caucus have described the situation in recent days as extremely fluid.

The only Democratic candidate to emerge so far for speaker is Rep. Keith McCall of Carbon County, although the current speaker, Rep. Dennis O'Brien, R-Philadelphia, has said he would like to continue in the post. O'Brien was elected speaker two years ago because of Democratic infighting and their even narrower 102-101 margin.

Forty House Democrats will be in their first or second terms during the coming session, many elected with the help of Eachus, and DeWeese said the caucus is "seriously encouraging younger troops to enter the fray."

"As a young hard-charger, Todd has paid his dues for 13 consecutive years and I think we would make a damn good team to complement our handsome young speaker and the redoubtable Dwight Evans," DeWeese said.

He said he supported McCall, Eachus and Evans but stated that the four were not currently running as a slate. DeWeese said he hoped to formally nominate McCall when the chamber elects a new speaker in January.