but its hard not think shes asking 3 of the 4 people above her to step aside so she can take control?
Aside from being a 2017 article (lol). The 4th person ranked above her would be Crowley, who was defeated by AOC (though again since the article is 2017 this hadn't actually happened yet.) Crowley was also the one directly ahead of her. He was the chair of the caucus and she was the vice-chair.
As for actual present-day leadership challenges to Pelosi. The name I've heard the most leading up to all this (as in like going back a year plus) is Tim Ryan and recently when asked about it his answer struck me as though it wasn't going to go anywhere if it even happens.
I've heard there's a group of 10-12 representatives who claim they'll stick together and call for new leadership but "good luck" the Dem House majority can absorb that. The highest number I've heard is "up to 20" which is still lol in terms of 20 people trying to dictate to the other 210-215 but is at least not a totally insignificant number to the math of this, though they could all just vote present on the Speaker vote and again whatever. Though in all this numbers talk I don't think anyone has yet got a list of these people.
The House Freedom Caucus showed us that 30-40 can dictate to 400, kind of. But I wouldn't expect Democrats to have that kind of spine ---
September 1, 2003; November 4, 2007; September 2, 2013 Congratulations to DP Oblivion in the Guru Contest!