House Democrats face intensifying committee battles
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Rep. Angie Craig in the House chamber on Oct. 25, 2023. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images.
House Democrats' internal fights over committee leadership heated up Monday with Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) announcing she will run to lead Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee.
Why it matters: Craig is the second lawmaker to jump into the race against incumbent ranking member Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), who has faced persistent concerns about his health.
- The growing effort to take down Scott comes as Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) runs to unseat Natural Resources Committee ranking member Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.).
- Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) is expected to announce Monday if he will run against Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.).
Driving the news: In a letter to her Democratic colleagues, Craig wrote she will "continue to champion our shared priorities, working with Republicans where possible and standing firm where needed."
- "If I've learned anything in the last several weeks, it's that we've got real work to do as Democrats to prove to the American people that our policies are the ones that make a difference," she added.
- Craig, a swing-district moderate from the Minneapolis suburbs, was first elected to Congress in 2018.
Between the lines: Craig, 52, is a relatively junior member of the Agriculture Committee, third from the bottom in seniority.
- But House Democrats who spoke to Axios last week said there is clear demand for an alternative to Scott, 79, and Costa, 72, who is second in seniority.
- The challenges come after Scott missed two weeks of votes after getting treatment for back issues, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Zoom in: Craig's framing of herself as a vigorous symbol of post-2024 election change echoes an argument other Democratic insurgents have made.
- Huffman, 60, in a letter announcing his bid against Grijalva, 76, wrote that "effective committee work led by our Ranking Members will be critical to limiting the damage from Trump's Project 2025 agenda."
- Like Scott, Grijalva has faced health concerns – he was diagnosed with cancer in April and has said he won't seek reelection in 2026.
- It is generally frowned upon to challenge an incumbent committee leader, but the Democrats' 2024 election losses and the impending Trump administration appear to have opened the floodgates.
