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, Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia defeated Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York 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 my colleagues were basing their votes on someone’s expertise, seasoned status, dependability, 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.”
He declared, “There is a law in this country, and we will see that it is upheld.
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.
On Monday, Connolly defeated Ocasio-Cortez 34 to 27 in a vote by the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which is closely associated with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., according to a source.
After Jerry Nadler of New York resigned from a similar position on the Judiciary Committee after being challenged by Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the leading Democrat on Oversight, the position became available.
Other steering panel proposals 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 on Monday in the steering committee. David Scott of Georgia, who has been the top agriculture official since 2021, received only five votes, while Costa received 22.
The steering committee chose California’s Jared Huffman over New Mexico’s Melanie Stansbury, who was a junior member, to be the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee. 44 to 17 was the vote.On Tuesday, the entire caucus voted Huffman to the position after Stansbury withdrew from the race.
The races for committee ranking member posts had been seen as alitmus test about the future of seniorityin the Democratic Party as younger lawmakers clamored for new blood and generational change in the leadership.
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 launched a surprise challenge to Raul Grijalva of Arizona, 76, who was elected to Congress in 2002 and had been the committee s top Democrat since 2015.
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.
I m ready to help us win back rural Americans and with them a strong Democratic majority, Craig said after the vote.
At the same time, a number of senior Democrats who lead other committees didn’t face any challenges and will keep their coveted jobs in the next Congress.
Maxine Waters of California, 86, won another two years as top Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, while Gregory Meeks of New York, 71, will stay on as top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, 76, will remain ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, and Nydia Velazquez of New York, 71, will keep her job as top Democrat on the Small Business Committee.
While Democrats will remain in the minority in the new Congress that begins in January, the party committee leaders would wield enormous oversight power should Democrats retake control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections.
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