Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is weighing a second run for the top Democratic seat on the powerful House Oversight Committee after Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia announced that he’s stepping down due to a recurrence of esophageal cancer.
The 75-year-old said Monday that this will be his final term in Congress. He currently serves as the committee’s ranking Democrat, and his departure opens up one of the most influential roles in the House, especially with President Donald Trump in the White House.
Ocasio-Cortez challenged Connolly for the post back in December but lost in a closed-door caucus vote. Now, with the seat soon to be vacated, she’s making it clear she’s back in the mix.
“It’s something that I’m weighing. The seat is not yet vacated, and I think that’s a bridge we can cross when we get to it,” she told reporters Wednesday.
If she jumps in, Ocasio-Cortez would enter as a clear frontrunner. According to Axios, other Democrats are watching her next move closely, with some progressive members holding back their own bids until she decides.
Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia
The House Oversight Committee is no small gig, considering it’s behind House investigations and the Democratic Party’s main line of attack against Trump. With MAGA loyalists running interference across the House, Democrats will need someone who’s sharp, visible, and unafraid of a fight. Ocasio-Cortez checks all of those boxes.
She’s already become one of the most recognizable faces in Congress, especially after co-leading the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, packing venues even in blood-red states like Idaho. She’s also polling strongly, with one April survey showing her leading Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a hypothetical 2028 Senate primary.
But Ocasio-Cortez knows how the game is played and how power works in Washington, D.C.
“The party has its views known on seniority and its values on seniority, and I respect that,” she said.
That’s a diplomatic way of saying that the old guard still isn’t ready to pass the torch.
Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, 70, will serve as interim ranking member and has already announced that he wants the job permanently. But he’s no firebrand. Lynch sparked backlash after he berated a constituent who asked him to “commit to not voting for any Republican legislation.”
“I get to decide that. “I’m elected. You wanna decide that? You need to run for Congress, okay?” he snapped back.
Other young leaders, including Reps. Jasmine Crockett of Texas and Maxwell Frost of Florida, are also reportedly eyeing the top Oversight spot, though they’re still waiting to see what Ocasio-Cortez decides first.
“A number of members are exploring a run as they wait to see if AOC wants to do it,” one House Democrat told Axios.
There’s also the matter of timing. Since Connolly hasn’t said when he’ll formally exit, Lynch could hang on for months while party leaders sidestep an open fight. But at some point, Democrats will have to make a choice: Keep defaulting to the old playbook, or hand power to the next generation.
Ocasio-Cortez has made a career out of challenging the status quo. This might be the moment her party finally lets her lead.
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