Current House Minority Leader Brad Jones and challenger state Rep. Lewis Evangelidis said Tuesday that they are looking forward to the leadership vote on Wednesday, while trading subtle blows.

The House GOP caucus will vote on Wednesday on its leadership. Nine members of that 16-member caucus have publicly stated they are supporting Jones  a North Reading Republican. If that number holds, Jones will be re-elected on Wednesday.

That didn't, however, stop Evangelidis from just jabbing Jones on Tuesday.

"I am aware that nine people have openly committed to Rep. Jones," Evangelidis, of Holden, told PolitickerMA.com. "I can say, though, that more than nine have told me that there is a need for change and that I'd make a good leader."

Evangelidis would not say, however, that he has stolen votes from Jones.

"We'll find out tomorrow," he said, adding that when his campaign for the post started, "I knew I had seven people that were 100 percent committed to change." Evangelidis also suggested that members are backing Jones out of a "personal loyalty."

Jones countered that he too is looking forward to the vote tomorrow and questioned Evangelidis' change platform.

"I am anxious to have the vote tomorrow, to be re-elected as leader and to move forward," he said. "The issues we face are great and need our united attention."

Coming off an election where the House GOP caucus shrunk from 19 members to 16, Jones said, "it doesn't take rocket scientist to figure out that...we need to do things differently."

Whether he wins or loses on Wednesday, Evangelidis, who sent out a series of five emails to caucus members over the past week, said he has been pleased with the response he has received both on Beacon Hill and, especially, off of it.

"Sometimes the people on Beacon Hill are the last ones to get it," he said. "Win lose or draw, we feel very confident with what we've done"