The Ultimate Marker Of Dems' Generational Shift: Aoc's Oversight Ascension

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is poised to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, punctuating a huge generational shift in the party’s power centers amid a sudden overthrow of senior leaders.

Ocasio-Cortez, 35, and Rep. Gerry Connolly, 74, have been canvassing the entire Democratic Caucus as they compete for the ranking position on Oversight next year — making calls, meeting with influential blocs in the party and laying out their vision for the high-profile panel. But according to interviews with a dozen members and staffers, Ocasio-Cortez has earned the support of the majority of Democrats on the panel, though it's the Steering and Policy Committee and the full caucus who ultimately decide. The Oversight panel is stacked with younger, more progressive members who tend to align more with her than Connolly.

Separately, two top Democrats on other House panels have withdrawn to make room for younger leaders, and 79-year-old Rep. David Scott of Georgia is on the verge of being pushed aside from a top spot on House Agriculture.

It's an unexpected climb for the New York progressive, a former bartender who first rose to power six years ago as an outsider willing to topple the party’s old guard — in that case former Rep. Joseph Crowley.

Her latest move is a sign that she’s staking her political future on ascending in the House, at least for now. She has declined to mount primary challenges against the two sitting senators in her state, Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer. She’s shored up her relationships with the new generation of House leaders, after a rocky start with the previous iteration, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She pays her dues to the caucus’ campaign arm and donates to colleagues in battleground districts. And she stumped on the campaign trail as a surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris, much to the chagrin of some liberals.

“She’s a very effective messenger, and that’s kind of the conclusion people have drawn from this election — that we haven’t had effective messengers,” said Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), a senior member of the caucus.

The leadership play by Ocasio-Cortez has broader implications for her party. Democrats driving the shift say they want new leadership that can fight the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Her sudden rise illustrates that has become a priority consideration, trumping the party’s past concerns about younger members waiting their turn and deferring to leadership.

Ocasio-Cortez and her allies take pains to note she hasn’t given up on her progressive bona fides or her penchant for challenging Democratic leaders, notably breaking from top Democrats and Biden over the war in Gaza during the presidential campaign.

Connolly, a more senior member of the panel who has been laying the groundwork for a bid for years, isn’t totally out yet. He can count on the support of senior Democrats like former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, though a person close to the Californian noted that she has nothing but respect and admiration for Ocasio-Cortez and never discouraged anyone from running.

While Ocasio-Cortez had an at-times testy relationship at the beginning of her congressional tenure with Pelosi — and had taken part in a sit-in at her office even before being sworn into Congress — she’s developed a warmer, though still-developing relationship with the newest generation of House Democratic leadership.

“We always talk about winning coalitions, but that's really what [she’s doing]. Like we're looking at 2026, we have stuff that we want to get done. We're not going to get it done unless we have the seats in the House,” said Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), a progressive who is close with the New York congresswoman.

And Ocasio-Cortez earlier this year neutralized a long-running criticism from other Democrats about the Squad — that they didn’t pay their dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee despite raking in huge sums in grassroots donations themselves — when she sent a check for the first time. She’s since sent in $260,000 to the DCCC, according to the most recent caucus report obtained by POLITICO, and raised or gave $54,000 to at-risk lawmakers. Connolly chipped in $190,000 to the DCCC, according to the report, and has raised and given $190,000 to purple-district members.

Connolly is also facing down some health challenges as he faces off against Ocasio-Cortez. The longtime congressman said in November he was diagnosed with esophagus cancer and is in treatment.

“Gerry has had some health issues, but he has been a very faithful member and is very outspoken on many issues,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio). “She, obviously, is a rising talent, and she has the right to use this occasion to express her concerns, so it'll be interesting to see what materializes when they make their presentations.”

Most current Democrats on the Oversight Committee, which is stacked with some of the most liberal, outspoken members of the caucus, are expected to back Ocasio-Cortez, according to the dozen members and staffers, though she’ll need to be approved by the Steering and Policy Committee and the full caucus. She was appointed the vice ranking member this Congress by Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, her mentor and close ally on the panel, and has won plaudits from other Democrats for her tough questioning of witnesses and skilled use of social media.

Some of those who are supporting Connolly openly chalked it up to seniority.

"I have known Gerry a long time. He's served on that committee for 16 years," said Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.). "He's excellent at what he does."

“Gerry asked me a couple weeks back, so I committed to him long before Alex got in the race,” Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) said.

When asked why Connolly would be the best person for the job, Mfume responded: “Did I say he was the best person? You said that.”