House Democrats have a committee battle on their hands
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Rep. Jared Huffman at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on July 28. 2022. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images.
House Democrats are facing a rare phenomenon: A senior committee member is challenging the incumbent leader of his panel for the gavel.
Why it matters: It is part of a trend in which House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' (D-N.Y.) younger members are trying to leapfrog their older colleagues after a disappointing 2024 election.
Driving the news: Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) sent a letter to his colleagues on the Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday morning announcing his run to unseat Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) as the panel's ranking member.
- "With the shockwave of Trump's 'First 100 Days' agenda about to slam into our committees, effective committee work led by our Ranking Members will be critical to limiting the damage from Trump's Project 2025 agenda," Huffman wrote.
- Huffman promised to fight to protect public lands, push back against "GOP extremism in ways that are substantive, strategic and effective," and take "personal responsibility for ensuring this committee runs well."
Between the lines: Grijalva has served in Congress since 2003 and led Democrats on the committee since 2015.
- The 76-year-old, who announced last April he has cancer, has said he does not plan to run for reelection in 2026.
- Huffman, 60, has been in Congress since 2013 and is known as one of Democrats' most pugilistic partisan brawlers, even launching a task force in June to counter project 2025.
The other side: "My decision to serve as top Democrat on the Committee has never been about me; it is driven by a lifelong commitment to amplifying the voices of so many Americans who have been ignored for far too long," Grijalva said in a statement.
- "I know the coming years will bring unprecedented challenges and changes, but I also know how to face them. I am ready, I am energized, and I fully intend to serve as Ranking Member."
What to watch: Huffman said if he wins, his first act would be to ask his fellow House Democrats to award Grijalva the title of "Ranking Member Emeritus."
- "I would regard it as more than a title: I would look to him as a key partner in guiding the Committee through the challenges and opportunities of the next two years," Huffman wrote.
- That's similar to the "Speaker Emerita" title given to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) after she stepped aside from leadership in 2022.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Rep. Raúl Grijalva.
