Dem
47
GOP
53
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is running for a job with approximately zero power: the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, which can investigate anything the chair wants to investigate. Is she stupid?
Anything but. She is extremely savvy, despite being only 35 and only in her third term in the House. She knows very well that the Republicans will hold a 220-215 edge in the 119th Congress, but the president's party usually gets whacked very hard in the midterms. If that happens in 2026, she will suddenly become one of the most powerful people in D.C., as chair of a committee with the power to subpoena anyone for any reason, put them under oath, and ask any questions she wants. At congressional hearings, most members just grandstand, but she is extremely good at asking probing questions and not taking "no" for an answer.
Will she get the job of ranking member? She is up against Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA). Connolly is in his eighth term and is 74. For younger members looking for generational change, she is the clear favorite. After the results of this year's elections, many Democrats think generational change is an excellent idea and Ocasio-Cortez could win this one.
What would she do if she wins? Well, the ranking member doesn't have a lot of legal power, but AOC has a lot of soft power. Everything she says gets a lot of attention and makes news, and with a million followers on Bluesky now, she can put malfeasance in the Trump administration in the spotlight, get lots of news coverage, and put Trump on the defensive.
The procedure now is that the Steering and Policy Committee, which hasn't been filled in yet, recommends the ranking members by secret ballot. Then the full caucus votes on the recommendations. AOC is now busy lobbying members of the Hispanic Caucus and the Progressive Caucus, while Connolly is lobbying senior members across various factions. The House leadership has an (unusual) hands-off policy. The decision should happen within 2 weeks.
If Ocasio-Cortez pulls this off, that will boost her profile enormously, especially if the Democrats capture the House in 2026. It is widely expected that she will run for the seat of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) when he retires. He is 74 now and up in 2028 when he will be 78. She could possibly even challenge him in a primary in 2028 if he decides to go for another term. (V)