Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has confirmed she will not pursue the top Democratic position on the influential House Oversight Committee, putting to rest speculation that she might seek the ranking member role following her loss in December.
Speaking to reporters, Ocasio-Cortez said she would not vie for the post, which will soon be vacant after Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) announced he is stepping down from the leadership position due to the return of his cancer, the Washington Examiner reported.
Last week, Ocasio-Cortez stated there wasn’t a “vacancy to run for,” but later told reporters she was “weighing” a potential bid. However, on Monday, she announced she would not be pursuing the committee’s gavel, citing the caucus’s emphasis on seniority as a key factor in her decision.
“It’s actually clear to me that the underlying dynamics in the caucus have not shifted with respect to seniority as much as I think would be necessary, and so I believe, I’ll be staying put at energy and commerce,” the left-wing Democrat from New York said.
Had Ocasio-Cortez decided to pursue the position, she would have required a waiver to return to the Oversight Committee. She currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, an “exclusive” panel that, under House rules, limits members from holding seats on additional committees without special approval, the Examiner reported.
House Democrats have been grappling with a generational shift following the 2024 election, as a number of younger lawmakers have challenged longtime leaders for ranking member roles. Many within the caucus have argued it’s time to bring new voices into leadership after Republicans’ sweeping electoral victories.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) was the only younger member to win a contested committee leadership race last December, securing the ranking member position on the House Agriculture Committee. Although she is now running for an open Senate seat in Minnesota, her office confirmed to the Washington Examiner that she will continue serving in her committee leadership role, the outlet said.
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) currently serves as ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, but he assumed the position after his opponent, the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), withdrew from the race.
Ocasio-Cortez’s decision not to pursue the ranking member position comes as little surprise, given her recent fundraising activity, which far exceeds that of a typical House member running in a safely Democratic district. With a war chest totaling $10 million, speculation has grown that she may be eyeing a future presidential bid or a potential Senate challenge to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
She has also been highly active on the national stage, drawing large crowds alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) during their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which has made stops in both red and blue states.
In the meantime, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MD) will assume the responsibilities of acting ranking member following Connolly’s departure. In a statement, Lynch confirmed that Connolly supports him if he chooses to seek the role on a permanent basis, the Examiner said.
Other names being discussed for the position include Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), and Ro Khanna (D-CA), the report added.
Last month, a survey conducted by a Democratic polling firm found that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was trailing ‘AOC’ by double digits in a hypothetical primary matchup.
The Data for Progress survey indicates that Ocasio-Cortez is ahead of Schumer by 19 points in a hypothetical 2028 Democratic primary.
Between March 26 and 31, 767 likely Democratic primary voters in New York were asked whom they would support in a hypothetical primary matchup between Schumer and Ocasio-Cortez. The results were striking: 55% backed Ocasio-Cortez, while only 36% chose Schumer.
The findings were not anomalies. The poll revealed that Schumer had the highest disapproval rating among all Democratic figures tested, whereas Ocasio-Cortez ranked among the most popular, trailing only Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
