“I think my colleagues were measuring their votes by who’s got experience, who’s seasoned, who can be trusted, who’s capable on it, who’s got a record of productivity,” Connolly said.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) emerged victorious Tuesday in a fight with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over who would be the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. The Democratic establishment ultimately rallied around the 74-year-old Connolly who defeated the 35-year-old progressive Squad member by a vote of 131-84, ABC News reported.
Connolly has been a member of the committee since 2009 but revealed on Nov. 7 that he is suffering from esophagus cancer. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) encouraged her fellow Democrats to oppose Ocasio-Cortez’s candidacy and back Connolly.
Ocasio-Cortez has been a vocal member of the committee since she first arrived on Capitol Hill. Despite her defeat, the congresswoman enjoys a prominent social media profile that is fueled by a national constituency of left-wing and woke supporters who see her as both a party maverick and a beacon of future leadership.
“He [Trump] may feel more emboldened, but that may also make him more reckless," Connolly said upon winning the contest with AOC. "There is a law on this land and we're going to make sure it's enforced. Our strategy is going to be to tell the truth and if that hurts then we know we’ve made our mark,” he said.
Connolly claimed he defeated Ocasio-Cortez because he knows how Congress works. “I think my colleagues were measuring their votes by who's got experience, who's seasoned, who can be trusted, who's capable on it, who's got a record of productivity. And I think that prevailed.”
Connolly might have won the ranking member spot Monday after the House Democratic Steering Committee voted in his favor, 34-27. But Ocasio-Cortez demanded a full caucus vote.
She has not publicly indicated that she has any interest in pursuing the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination but her name is frequently mentioned by supporters and detractors in that context.
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