The endorsement of Hoyer, while expected, represents a break from Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi, who announced this week that she is supporting Pennsylvania's John Murtha for the position.

Pelosi, Hoyer and Spratt are part of the Democratic leadership team in the House, but they differ on who should become majority leader, the No. 2 post behind the speaker.

Murtha, an outspoken Vietnam veteran whose call for U.S. troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq helped energize Democrats for the election, appears to be the underdog. Hoyer, formerly the House Democratic whip, is considered one of the party's most generous fundraisers and has earned loyalty from colleagues across the country.

Spratt and Hoyer have been close allies for years -- Hoyer even offered to visit the 5th District during the campaign -- and Spratt has made no secret of his choice. And while Pelosi backed Murtha, she made clear that other Democrats are free to make their own choices when the party votes Thursday.

Hoyer, at a news conference Tuesday, said he still expected to win. "Nancy Pelosi and I will work very closely together in the future," he said. "Because both of us care about the objectives of our party."

Regardless of who is chosen, Spratt is poised to become chairman of the House budget committee, a role he has coveted for years. Spratt has said his top priority will be balancing the federal budget within five years so that future generations aren't saddled with untold debts.

When they meet Thursday, Democrats will consider major changes to the leadership structure in the House. The party may change or get rid of the assistant to the leader position that Spratt now holds, but spokesman Chuck Fant said Spratt's level of prominence will not change.

"As chairman of the House budget committee and second-ranking member on Armed Services, he will be a key player," Fant said. "He will continue to be the go-to person on budget and, for many people, on defense policy. Just by being a committee chairman, he's in the leadership."

Last week, Spratt won re-election to a 13th term in Congress with a 57 percent-to-43 percent win over Republican challenger Ralph Norman.

The politicking over leadership posts happened Monday while GOP leaders opened a lame-duck session in which the outgoing Congress -- including defeated Republicans -- returned to finish work on the budget, Vietnam trade and confirming a new defense secretary.