Apr 30, 2025 - Politics & Policy

AOC "weighing" bid to be top Democrat on House Oversight

Andrew Solender

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wearing a purple blazer and sitting next to rows of empty brown leather chairs. — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sitting in the House chamber ahead of the speaker election on Jan. 3. Photo: Allison Robbert for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday she is considering a bid to succeed Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.

Why it matters: The 35-year-old progressive superstar is seen as a likely frontrunner should she vie for the role, even as several others on the panel say they are also running for it.

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Va.), the 70-year-old who will serve as "interim" ranking member until Connolly formally steps down, plans to run for the role permanently.
So does Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), 44, who like Ocasio-Cortez has a large social media platform and is considered a progressive star.

What they're saying: "It's something that I'm weighing," Ocasio-Cortez said of a bid for ranking member.

Alluding to her loss to Connolly for the role last year, she told reporters that "as we know, we've seen this movie before and the party has its views known on seniority."
"I respect that that's the position of the caucus, so that's something to be part of a larger conversation," she added.

Between the lines: Some of House Democrats' more veteran members are throwing their support behind Lynch ahead of a potential contest between him and a younger member.

Lynch is the third most senior member on the panel, after Connolly and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) — who is also not ruling out a bid.

Many younger members, including Reps. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), age 46; Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), 48; Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), 47; and Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), 28, are eyeing the role, particularly if Ocasio-Cortez opts out.

Zoom out: Ocasio-Cortez faces extra hurdles after stepping off of Oversight to take a role on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee.

That means she would have to receive a waiver from House Democrats' Steering and Policy Committee to be allowed to run for the role.
Still, lawmakers have told Axios they think Ocasio-Cortez has an even stronger chance of winning than she did against Connolly last year.

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AOC "weighing" bid to be top Democrat on House Oversight

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