The death of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) this week leaves a vacancy on the House Oversight Committee with no clear front-runner to fill it.
Democrats on the panel had been quietly positioning for the slot since Connolly announced in April that he would be stepping aside amid a battle with esophageal cancer. For now, there are four candidates angling for the spot: Reps. Stephen Lynch (Mass), 70; Kweisi Mfume (Md.), 76; Robert Garcia (Calif.), 47; and Jasmine Crockett (Texas), 44.
Yet none of them have the inside track and others could still enter the race.
This is an influential post inside the Democratic Caucus and one of the main party bulwarks against President Donald Trump and a GOP-controlled Congress. It’s a perch that only grows in stature if Democrats take back the House next year.
The state of the race: Lynch is currently ranking Democrat on the panel, per Connolly’s request, and he has said Connolly planned to endorse him as a successor. But he’s been passed over for the top job before.
Garcia could start from a position of strength if he can lock up the massive California delegation and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Crockett or Garcia, both elected in 2022, would usher in the generational change that the party’s base has been demanding.
Both Mfume and Crockett are members of the Congressional Black Caucus, though Mfume is more senior. Crockett had previously suggested she might step aside for Mfume.
But Mfume’s age could also be a factor here. Democrats continue to deal with the fallout around former President Joe Biden’s age and his initial decision to run for reelection. The caucus has pushed for younger members to fill other key committee posts. And three House Democrats have died since March.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), an Oversight member, said this week that he wouldn’t run and instead backed Mfume.
“Certainly the reason that I’m not running is because of my respect for him,” he said.
But few others have made endorsements. And out of respect for Connolly, campaigning ground to a halt on Wednesday with news of his death.
Looking ahead: Caucus rules say the election for a new ranking member must be held within 30 days of the vacancy, although a waiver could grant extra time. There are two weeks of recess slotted in the next month, compressing the timeline for a vote.
Yet given the important role the top Democrat on Oversight plays in crafting the party’s resistance to Trump, some members and aides told us they’re ready to fill the post quickly.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) challenged Connolly for the position in December, pitting a progressive star and impressive communicator against a more senior member. Ocasio-Cortez lost to Connolly in a caucus-wide vote of 131-84.
Ocasio-Cortez has said she doesn’t plan to run for the position again, though we’ve heard from several Democratic lawmakers and senior aides who hope she reconsiders.
