Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., announced Friday that she is seeking the coveted role as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
Ocasio-Cortez will compete with Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., for the position, which will be critical for the opposition party in battling President-elect Donald Trump's agenda. Before her official announcement, Ocasio-Cortez said she had spoken to several Democrat colleagues, including those on leadership, about her interest in the position.
"We must balance our focus on the incoming president's corrosive actions and corruption with a tangible fight to make life easier for America's working class," Ocasio-Cortez, 35, wrote in a letter to colleagues, obtained by Politico,
"I know firsthand how the Majority uses their chaos to confuse, disorient, and distract the public's attention away from their disastrous agenda. We cannot and will not allow that to happen. I will lead by example by always keeping the lives of everyday Americans at the center of our work."
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., on Wednesday announced his plan to step down from his leadership role in the House Judiciary Committee Chair. The move sets up Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., to take Nadler's spot, leaving a vacancy at the House Oversight Committee.
Connolly has touted his history on the committee, saying his experience in battling Republicans is what the Democrats need as they prepare for a second Trump administration.
"The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is a beat I know well, and right now we need an expert who can parry the worst Republican attacks on our institutions and deliver reform where it is necessary and needed," Connolly wrote.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.