A Democratic House committee on Monday recommended that Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly take over the party’s top spot on the House Oversight Committee, a key vote that saw challenger
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez finish a close second.
The 34-27 private vote in the Steering and Policy Committee is not binding on the full Democratic caucus when it decides the matter, though it is a highly influential vote that will likely determine the winner.
The full vote is expected to occur Tuesday morning.
The race has been viewed as an opportunity for generational change in the Democratic Party. If she were to win the role, Ocasio-Cortez, 35, would be the youngest Democrat to help lead a House committee.
Last month, Connolly, 74, announced he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and that he had immediately begun treatment. He has since been conducting regular business at the Capitol.
First elected to Congress from Virginia in 2009, Connolly has been on the Oversight Committee ever since. His candidacy is reportedly
backed by Rep.
Nancy Pelosi.
Ocasio-Cortez has been the number two Democrat on that influential committee since January 2023. She has been a committee member since taking office four years prior.
Ocasio-Cortez, who mounted a successful primary against a seasoned Democrat in order to win her seat in 2018, was asked during the committee meeting Monday about backing primary challengers against sitting members, something she has generally shied away from.
The New York progressive, according to
Politico, signaled that she may change course and is open to doing so in the future.
