Ocasio-Cortez Loses Vote To Lead Democrats On Oversight Panel

In a vote conducted by the House Democrats’ Steering and Policy Committee, centrist Democrat Rep. Gerry Connolly from Virginia triumphed over socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York in her bid to become the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.

According to lawmakers who were present during the vote, Ocasio-Cortez was defeated by Connolly with a tally of 34 to 27 on Monday.

The New Democrat Coalition, the Democrats’ largest caucus, had thrown its support behind Connolly ahead of Friday’s vote for the Oversight ranking member role.

“New Dems are proud to endorse our colleague, friend, and fellow New Dem Rep. Gerry Connolly for Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. Rep. Connolly is a strong and talented communicator and a dedicated workhorse prepared to expertly lead the committee in defending our Democratic priorities and standing up to the Trump administration’s extremist actions. He is the right choice to advance the interests of our full caucus,” the coalition said in a statement.

The statement further emphasized Connolly’s qualifications: “Throughout his sixteen years on the Committee, Rep. Connolly has been a courageous and formidable force fighting against extremist GOP conspiracy theories and advancing thoughtful, commonsense legislation. As we prepare for the new Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress, the Oversight Committee Democrats will play a critical role in protecting our democratic institutions and pushing back on bad faith actors. We are fully confident that Rep. Connolly will lead the committee with a no-nonsense approach and a steady hand.”

However, the decision still requires a vote by the entire Democratic caucus to formally endorse the Steering Committee’s choice, despite Ocasio-Cortez’s loss.

Reports from Punchbowl News suggest that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who recently secured reelection, played a role in opposing Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign.

“Pelosi is making calls on behalf of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who is running against AOC to be ranking member of Oversight,” the outlet reported. “Pelosi has made her support for Connolly publicly known. But her behind-the-scenes maneuvering shows the amount of political capital Pelosi’s willing to put into the contest, which will be decided next week.”

The midday newsletter from Punchbowl News reiterated this claim: “Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi is actively working to tank Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) bid to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. Pelosi is making calls on behalf of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who is running against AOC to be ranking member of Oversight. Pelosi has made her support for Connolly publicly known. But her behind-the-scenes maneuvering shows the amount of political capital Pelosi’s willing to put into the contest, which will be decided next week.”

Ocasio-Cortez had announced her intention to seek the position in a letter to her colleagues last week, writing, “The responsibility of leading Democrats on the House Oversight Committee during Donald Trump’s second term in the White House is a profound and consequential one. Now, more than ever, we must focus on the Committee’s strong history of both holding administrations accountable and taking on the economic precarity and inequality that is challenging the American way of life.”

This contest has been shaped by a long-standing tension between Ocasio-Cortez and Pelosi. In 2018, Ocasio-Cortez participated in a sit-in protest at Pelosi’s office, marking the beginning of a protracted conflict between the two figures.

According to a book by progressive writer Ryan Grim, Ocasio-Cortez expressed relief following Pelosi’s resignation as leader of the Democratic caucus.

“I thought a lot of my misery was due to leadership more broadly having a thing against me. But … my life has completely transformed. It’s crazy. And it’s that that made me realize it was kind of just [Pelosi] the whole time,” Ocasio-Cortez told Grim.