Veteran Democratic House Rep. Gerry Connolly fended off a challenge from progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday, putting the Virginia Democrat in line to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee in the new Congress.
Connolly has served on the House Oversight Committee since 2009 and since 2013 has been the Democratic chairman of the government operations subcommittee. She announced on November 7 that she had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, opening the door to a challenge from Ocasio-Cortez.
Despite those health challenges, Connolly won by a vote of 131-84, according to multiple Democratic sources, cementing his role in one of the highest offices in Washington to challenge the Trump administration and the unified Republican majority in Congress.
Ocasio-Cortez has served on the Oversight Committee since her first term in 2019 when she took over Capitol Hill as the leader of the so-called Squad. Despite his defeat today, he is still poised to take a prominent role at the table of the 119th Congress.
In this April 2, 2019, file photo, Rep. Gerry Connolly speaks with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Robin Kelly and Ayanna Pressley after the House Oversight and Reform Committee voted to subpoena the White House over security clearances when it met on Capitol Hill. Washington, DC
Carlos Barria/Reuters
Connolly said he is ready to take on the Trump administration.
“He (Trump) will feel bolder, but that may also make him more reckless,” Connolly said. “There is a law in this land and we will make sure it is followed.”
“Our strategy will be to tell the truth and if that hurts, we know we’ve made our mark,” he said.
Connolly said he was able to defeat the AOC: “I think my colleagues were weighing their votes based on who’s experienced, who’s seasoned, who’s trustworthy, who’s up to the task, who has a track record of productivity. And I think that prevailed. ».
Connolly won the House Democratic Leadership Committee’s initial recommendation Monday afternoon to lead Democrats on the AOC panel in the next Congress by a 34-27 vote count.
Defying that recommendation, Ocasio-Cortez asked the plenary to vote on the contest.
The results come as Vice President Kamala Harris faces a post-election reckoning after her loss to President-elect Donald Trump, a period of soul-searching that has eroded House Democrats’ traditional dominance of committee assignments.
In this Jan. 31, 2023, file photo, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez arrives for a meeting of the House Oversight and Reform Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC | Rep. Gerry Connolly prepares to give a television interview on Capitol Hill, December 12, 2024.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images | Politics via AP
So far, Democrats have already chosen younger and younger Democrats to serve as top party members on the Judiciary, Agriculture and Natural Resources committees, moves that represented significant changes on Capitol Hill.
The maneuvering comes as Democrats prepare to battle the Trump administration next year, with members hopeful that younger, more energetic voices will be better able to carry the party’s message into what will be high-profile policy battles, even if Democrats are stuck. in the minority
However, on the Oversight Committee, Democrats seemed to prioritize Connolly’s position over Ocasio-Cortez, despite her health problems, someone who has been a progressive and effective communicator but a prominent boogeyman for national Republicans.
Overall, Democrats have elected five women to serve on committees in the next Congress, along with several people of color, while Republicans have elected zero women.
