After a week of speculation and confirmation from the New York congresswoman that she would “soon” be making a decision on whether to run for leadership, Ocasio-Cortez announced Friday that she is launching a bid to become ranking member of the powerful committee that led Republicans’ investigations into President Joe Biden and his family.
“This is not a position I seek lightly,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a “Dear Colleague” letter obtained by the Washington Examiner.
“Now, more than ever, we must focus on the Committee’s strong history of both holding administrations accountable and taking on the economic precarity and inequality that is challenging the American way of life,” the congresswoman continued.
Ocasio-Cortez and Connolly are the only expected members to jockey for the ranking member position after current ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) announced he is running to be the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), who has been the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee since 2019, announced Wednesday he would not seek another term in the position, clearing the pathway for Raskin.
At 35, Ocasio-Cortez is one of the youngest members of Congress and would be one of the youngest committee leaders in the 119th Congress should she replace Raskin as ranking member. Before her official announcement, she said she had spoken to several lawmakers, including those on leadership, about her interest in the position.
Ahead of her announcement, the congresswoman told the Washington Examiner that she received support from several members, and hoped to receive the backing from many of her fellow progressives that sit on the committee in the race against Connolly.
The battle for the next ranking member of House Oversight is just one of several occurring before the 119th Congress is sworn in. The results of the 2024 election highlighted a generational divide between the older establishment of the party and the newer generation of lawmakers like Ocasio-Cortez, who are well-versed in social media and unafraid to go toe to toe with their colleagues both across the aisle and within the Democratic Party.
The House Agriculture Committee is also experiencing a seniority challenge, with Reps. Jim Costa (D-CA) and Angie Craig (D-MN) running to unseat Rep. David Scott (D-GA) as the top Democrat on the panel.
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) launched a bid to replace Natural Resources Committee ranking member Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), but Grijalva elected to bow out. Huffman will have a clear path to be the highest Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee unless Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) decides to hop into the race.
At his weekly press conference, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said he has “no reflection” on the trend of senior members bowing out of leadership or younger-termed lawmakers challenging their elder colleagues, “Other than that the caucus is working its will and we’re doing it in a cordial fashion.”
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“We have enormous talent spread throughout the conference,” Jeffries said.
“That includes both more seasoned members who bring great experience, as well as newer members who’ve got a lot of energy and capacity and ability, and we welcome their entry onto the playing field,” the leader added.
