Washington As rank-and-file lawmakers preferred a more senior member of the party’s caucus to challenge the second Trump administration rather than a young progressive star, Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly defeated New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez on Tuesday in the race to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
According to a lawmaker present, the secret-ballot vote in a closed-door Democratic caucus meeting was 131 to 84.
Connolly informed reporters that the most qualified candidate had won after the voting.
Once more, I believe that my colleagues were gauging their votes based on experience, seasonedness, reliability, ability, and track record of production. “I believe that won out,” he remarked.
Despite his recent health problems, Connolly stated that he is prepared to face a Trump government. Connolly went on to say that although President-elect Donald Trump would feel more “emboldened,” this could also make him more “reckless.”
“We will ensure that the laws in this country are upheld,” Connolly stated.
On Tuesday, Ocasio-Cortez posted on the social media platform Bluesky: “I did my best. I apologize for not being able to convince everyone; we will fight another day.
The vote was taken a day after, according to a source, the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which is highly supportive of Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., supported Connolly over Ocasio-Cortez by a vote of 34 to 27.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on Oversight, challenged Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., for a comparable position on the Judiciary Committee, forcing Nadler to resign, creating the vacancy.
Other proposals from the steering panel were also approved by the entire Democratic caucus on Tuesday. Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota defeated Rep. Jim Costa of California, the second-most senior member of the Agriculture Committee, to become the top Democrat on the committee. She defeated her two opponents on the first ballot and received 34 votes in the steering committee the day before. Rep. David Scott of Georgia, who has served as the top agriculture official since 2021, received only five votes, while Costa received 22.
The steering committee suggested Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., as the senior Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, rather than Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., who is a junior member. 44 to 17 was the vote.On Tuesday, the entire caucus voted Huffman to the position after Stansbury withdrew from the race.
As younger politicians demanded fresh blood and a generational shift in the leadership, the contests for committee ranking member positions were perceived as a litmus test for the Democratic Party’s future seniority.
However, the results this week showed conflicting answers to that query.
Connolly, 74, was elected to Congress for the first time in 2008 and is a senior member of the Oversight Committee. Despite declaring last month that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, he defeated a challenge from 35-year-old progressive icon Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was elected in 2018.
In the Natural Resources election, the steering group also endorsed the more experienced Democrat. Stansbury, 45, a relatively junior member of the committee who won a special election in 2021, lost to Huffman, 60, who was elected in 2012 and would be the second most senior Democrat on the committee the following year.
Natural Resources will have a younger Democratic leader than in the past due to Huffman’s promotion to ranking member. Earlier, Huffman unexpectedly challenged Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, 76, who had been the top Democrat on the committee since 2015 and was elected to Congress in 2002.
However, the younger insurgent won the race for agriculture. The incumbent, Scott, 79, who was elected in 1982 and had been dealing with health problems for years, and another senior member, Costa, 72, a third-generation farmer who was next in line after Scott, were both defeated by Craig, 52, a Democrat and one of the panel’s least senior members.
Following the vote, Craig declared, “I’m prepared to help us win back rural Americans and with them a strong Democratic majority.”
Some senior Democrats who are in charge of other committees, however, were not challenged and will continue to hold their desired positions in the upcoming Congress.
Rep. Greg Meeks of New York, 71, will continue to be the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, while Rep. Maxine Waters of California, 86, gained another two years as the senior Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. Rep. Nydia Velazquez of New York, 71, will continue to serve as the top Democrat on the Small Business Committee, while Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, 76, will continue to serve as a ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee.
The leaders of the party committees would have significant monitoring authority if Democrats were to regain control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections, even though they would still be in the minority in the new Congress that takes office in January.
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