- December 16, 2024 (Axios.com)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is still contesting the race for House Oversight Committee ranking member despite losing a key vote Monday.
Why it matters: House Democrats’ Steering and Policy Committee voted to recommend Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) for the role, but the full Democratic caucus still has to vote on whether to approve their pick.
- It is not unprecedented for the caucus to reject a steering suggestion — but the vote may give Connolly critical momentum after Ocasio-Cortez was seen by some as the favorite going into this week.
- “I’m gonna support Steering and Policy. I’m not on that committee but I’m assuming they listened to the candidates and hashed through it. So, there has to be a reason,” said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.).
- “And obviously I want to get on the committees I want to get on, so I’m not going to piss anybody off,” she added.
Driving the news: The steering panel — roughly 60 members who are mostly allies of leadership and senior lawmakers — voted for Connolly over Ocasio-Cortez in a 34-27 vote Monday afternoon.
- The battle between Ocasio-Cortez, 35, and Connolly, 74, came after multiple septuagenarian committee chairs were pushed out by relatively younger colleagues.
- But Connolly allies made the case that, despite his recent cancer diagnosis, he has the kind of vigor to lead a committee under the incoming Trump administration.
What they’re saying: Ocasio-Cortez said after the vote that she plans to take it to the full caucus, telling Axios she is “locked in” and “just working hard right now.”
- Her allies argued that the seven-vote margin was actually a stellar result for her and that she has a better chance in the full caucus, where members hew younger and less beholden to leadership.
- “The caucus as a whole, I think, may be more favorable than that very narrow group of people,” said one House Democrat backing Ocasio-Cortez, who nonetheless acknowledged the steering vote “matters.”
- A veteran House Democrat not supporting either candidate said the steering vote was a “great result” for Ocasio-Cortez, predicting, “This thing is going to be a dead heat.”
The other side: Two other senior House Democrats predicted that Connolly would win the caucus vote, in large part because of the strength of his relationships.
- “I think Gerry will win. I think it’ll be close … [but] he’s been here a long time, he’s worked at it. I think it’s a nod to the respect that they have for him,” said one of the lawmakers.
- Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), for instance, said he committed to vote for Connolly “way back before some others got in.”
Zoom out: In 2014, the full caucus voted to elect Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) to lead the Energy and Commerce Committee over Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), who won the steering vote.
- Eshoo was supported by then-House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Now the speaker emerita, Pelosi has been supporting Connolly.
- The Ocasio-Cortez ally noted that another Pelosi-backed candidate, Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), lost the steering vote to lead the Agriculture Committee on Monday, telling Axios: “Does it help or does it hurt to have Nancy Pelosi making calls for you?”
- “She was really out there saying I’m making calls to lots of people. I’m locking up the California vote. But … people want to feel like their states are just as important,” the lawmaker said.
The bottom line: Even Connolly’s allies acknowledge that if she falls short tomorrow, Ocasio-Cortez is well-positioned to get the Oversight role — or another leadership slot — in the near future.
- “Our caucus is moving ever so gingerly toward bringing more and more young leadership in,” said Cleaver.
- He added of Ocasio-Cortez: “If she doesn’t get it when we have the vote, it’s just a matter of time.”
