Rep. Gerry Connolly is poised to become the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee next year. But the decision isn’t final until Tuesday, when the entire caucus is set to vote on their picks for the top Democrat in the prominent role.
The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee voted to recommend the Virginian as the ranking member on the high-profile panel by a 34-27 vote on Monday. The veteran investigator faced a stiff challenge from New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The full caucus is set to vote on who will officially lead Democrats on the panel on Tuesday.
Those votes typically align with the steering panel’s recommendations, but two Democratic allies of Ocasio-Cortez, granted anonymity to speak candidly, predicted the full caucus, composed of younger members who might be more likely to favor the 35-year old liberal compared to the Steering panel, could sway in favor of the progressive New Yorker. Others insisted the result would remain unchanged and Connolly would win the top spot.
“Steering is a microcosm of the larger caucus, I have seen races where people have the nod from steering but lose it in the broader caucus. So I don’t know,” said Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), a Connolly ally. “I mean, I think it bodes well, because I think he’s obviously got the experience and the talent but you know, who knows.”
