Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia defeated Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York 34-27 in a vote by the House Democrats’ Steering and Policy Committee for the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.
Connolly’s candidacy was strongly backed by the New Democrat Coalition, while Ocasio-Cortez faced opposition from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who supported Connolly behind the scenes. Ocasio-Cortez had hoped to lead the committee, citing the importance of holding the Trump administration accountable. The full Democratic caucus will still need to vote on the Steering Committee’s choice.
