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Happy Thursday morning.

Not over yet in New York’s 10th District?

Dan Goldman, the former assistant U.S. attorney and impeachment counsel, has been declared the winner of the Democratic primary in New York’s 10th District. Goldman narrowly won in a crowded field that included New York State Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou, Rep. Mondaire Jones, and New York City Council Member Carlina Rivera, among others.

Progressives collectively pulled in a far larger vote total than the more moderate Goldman, but they split their support and he ended up winning. And Goldman – heir to the Levi Strauss & Co. fortune – spent $4 million from his own pocket to boost his campaign.

But Niou has already qualified for November on the Working Families Party ballot line and could still run in the fall. She trailed Goldman by only 1,300 votes in the primary – which she still hasn’t formally conceded yet.

Here’s what Niou told us:

We’ll keep you up to date on this situation.

Inside the Democrats’ battle to lead House Oversight

A trio of senior House Democrats are angling for the top spot on the Committee on Oversight and Reform, setting up a battle for one of the most high-profile posts in the chamber.

Vying for the job for Democrats: Reps. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts.

Let’s be abundantly clear here – It’s not certain at this point that Republicans will take the House majority. But if they do, the Oversight Committee will be ground zero for numerous investigations into the Biden administration, including President Joe Biden’s family. Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, top Republican on the panel, has called Hunter Biden “a national security risk” and vowed to make the president’s son a top priority. The younger Biden is already under scrutiny by the IRS.

The House Democratic leadership – whoever that entails next year – will want someone on the panel who’s able to effectively fight back against Comer and the Republicans.

Even before Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney’s (D-N.Y.) primary loss Tuesday, Democrats had begun whispering about challenging her for the top spot in the next Congress, arguing she wasn’t up to the task. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) is formally next in line, but she’s more interested in the top Democratic spot on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which will also be open.

Connolly, who lost to Maloney in a battle for the Oversight gavel in 2019, is pitching himself as the best candidate to replace her.

“I’m battle tested, deeply immersed in our subject matter, the most active Committee member, chair the biggest subcommittee and can go toe to toe with Republicans, protecting the Biden administration and Democratic priorities,” Connolly told us Wednesday.

Indeed, Connolly has a long history on the panel, dating back to the days of the Republicans’ war with the Obama administration after the GOP took the majority in 2010. Connolly understands the inner workings of the Oversight committee, which is to his advantage. Connolly is the fifth-ranking Democrat on the committee.

Lynch, who also ran for committee chair in 2019, is emphasizing his status as the most senior member of the panel seeking the job. Lynch noted in a letter to colleagues that he’s served on Oversight for more than 20 years.

“As the most senior Democrat running to lead the Committee, I am well prepared to serve at this pivotal moment in our history when it is clear that some Republican members have actively chosen to disregard the truth and their sworn oaths of office,” Lynch said.

Like Connolly, Lynch has tenure on this panel – he is the third-ranking Democrat.

Raskin, meanwhile, hasn’t officially jumped into the race but is “strongly considering it,” as we scooped Wednesday.

“Everything we have been through over the last five years underscores that our oversight duties are of central importance to the success of the American government,” Raskin said.

While Raskin – a former constitutional law professor – has only been in Congress since 2017, he’s already served in several high-profile positions, including on the Jan. 6 select committee. In addition, Raskin was the lead House manager during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.

And at 59, Raskin could appeal to Democrats clamoring for younger leaders in a caucus ruled by a trio of octogenarians. Eleven out of 15 committee chairs are in their 70s or older. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), another Oversight member, has already endorsed Raskin for the job. For the record, Connolly is 72, while Lynch is 67.

There’s recent history for the Oversight Committee that’s important to consider here.

In 2010, when House Republicans took the majority, Democrats pushed former Rep. Ed Towns (D-N.Y.) out of the top slot in favor of the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.). Towns was seen as too soft on Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) – the incoming chair – and Cummings was believed to be a much more worthy combatant.

Republicans did something similar in 2019. Having just lost their House majority, and with Democrats vowing to investigate Trump, Republicans appointed Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as the ranking member on Oversight. Then in 2020, when Jordan was made ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee to handle Trump’s impeachment, former Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) took over at Oversight.

– John Bresnahan, Jake Sherman and Heather Caygle

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