Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday lost her bid to serve as the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight Committee, with veteran party member Gerry Connolly winning the majority of votes from the House’s Democratic caucus.
Ocasio-Cortez, 35, was one of multiple, younger Democrats who launched bids for ranking member seats on key committees, seeking to overcome older Democrats vying for the positions.
Politico reported last week that Ocasio-Cortez had the support of the majority of Democrats on the Oversight Committee, which is “stacked with younger, more progressive members who tend to align more with her than Connolly.” Ultimately, it’s the full caucus that decides who will serve in leadership roles on committees.
The House Democratic Steering Committee, which recommends committee roles to the full caucus, backed Connolly over Ocasio-Cortez in a 34-27 vote on Monday. And he won the full caucus vote 131-84 on Tuesday, NBC News reported.
Last week, I explained my reasons for believing Ocasio-Cortez would be a good pick to lead Democrats on the committee, which will be tasked with overseeing the incoming Donald Trump administration. I noted her powerful messaging capabilities, her youth, her vow to balance focus on Trump with a broader focus on improving Americans’ lives, and her alignment with the late, esteemed former Oversight Chair Elijah Cummings.
But Democrats ultimately elected to go with 74-year-old Connolly, who received strong support from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and centrist Democrats, to keep a watchful eye over the Trump administration in the next congressional term.
Connolly, who announced last month that he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, told reporters after his victory on Tuesday that he’s “ready” to take on the Trump administration despite his health issues.
Trump “may feel more emboldened, but that may also make him more reckless,” Connolly said. “There is a law in this land, and we’re going to make sure it’s enforced.”
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.