...
By Andrew Stanton
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Representative Alexandria-Ocasio lost the race to become the next House Oversight Commitee ranking Democrat to Representative Gerry Connolly, a victory for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is said to have lobbied members to vote for Connolly.
Connolly, 74, defeated Ocasio-Cortez, 35, by a 131-84 margin, according to Politico's Daniella Diaz. Newsweek reached out to Ocasio-Cortez's office for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Ocasio-Cortez's bid to become the top Democrat on the committee was one of progresives' first battles in the fight to shape the future of the party after their defeats in this year's elections.
Read More on News
Ocasio-Cortez represented the more left-leaning flank of the party, while Connolly represented the more moderate wing, that has argued the party has shifted too far left.
...
The race also had generational undertones. Some Democrats have called for longtime party leaders to step aside and make way for younger Democrats to wield more power, especially after the debacle Democrats faced after President Joe Biden's age concerns this year.
What to Know
The race quickly sparked an ideological divide among Democrats, with the Congressional Progressive Caucus endorsing Ocasio-Cortez, and the centrist New Democrat Coalition backing Connolly.
An Ocasio-Cortez victory would have been a major win for the left, as she would have become the highest ranking member of the "Squad," the group of progressive lawmakers formed after the 2018 midterms.
Pelosi was privately supporting Connolly's bid, urging House Democrats to support him for the position, several news outlets including Axios and Punchbowl News reported. Ocasio-Cortez and Pelosi had a rocky start to their working relationship, but have not publicly feuded in more recent years.
After Ocasio-Cortez unseated a top Pelosi ally, former Representative Joe Crowley, in a 2018 primary race, Pelosi downplayed her primary victory as a "choice in one district," and later said that a "glass of water" could win there if it were a Democrat.
Ocasio-Cortez, on the other hand, joined a protest outside of Pelosi's office in November 2018 demanding stronger action to combat climate change.
Still, Ocasio-Cortez voted for Pelosi in her 2018 and 2020 Speaker races, while Pelosi gave Ocasio-Cortez a position on the powerful Oversight Committee in 2019. Pelosi has dismissed the idea the two don't get along, telling reporters there was no "hatchet" to bury between the two of them, reported Politico.
Democrats' Steering and Policy Committee earlier voted to back Connolly by a 34-27 vote margin, reported Axios.
Connolly, more than twice Ocasio-Cortez's age, represents a Virginia Congressional district comprised of Washington, D.C. suburbs. He was first elected in 2008 and has served on the Oversight Committee since 2009. He announced in November that he is fighting esophagus cancer.
In other contested races, Minnesota Representative Angie Craig, 52, beat out California Representative Jim Costa, 72, to be the top Democrat on the Agricultural Committee—a victory for younger Democrats, though this race did not have as much of an ideological divide.
Representative Jared Huffman of California will become ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee after Representative Melanie Stansbury, of New Mexico, withdrew her bid.
What People Are Saying
Max Cohen, of Punchbowl News on X: "Connolly's victory over AOC is the culmination of his entire House career spent on Oversight Cmte. Connolly's pitch was his intense focus on the panel and how he would deliver based on his experience. That won out over AOC's message tailored at fighting for the working class."
TJ Adams-Falconer, former White House senior media affairs manager during the Obama administration: "DC Democrats simply do not understand the nature of the work & fight ahead."
What's Next
The 119th Congress is set to convene on January 3, 2025. Republicans will hold a narrow lead in the House of Representatives after Democrats made a net gain of one seat in this year's election.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines