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Her quest for power will have to wait. First she lost the vote in the Democrat steering committee. Now Democrat socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been defeated in a larger Democrat caucus vote.
UPDATE from Fox News: Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was defeated in her bid to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, losing to Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia.
Connolly, 74, bested the 35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez with 131 to 84 votes in what is seen as a blow for progressives who backed Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the progressive “Squad.”
SQUAD SNUB: Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was defeated in her attempt to become the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, losing to Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). https://t.co/4kIl1GS9mk pic.twitter.com/H2XQkpSl6b
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 17, 2024
Original report below: AOC loses key vote for top Dem spot on powerful Committee
From the Washington Examiner: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez‘s (D-NY) bid to become the most powerful Democrat on the influential House Oversight Committee took a fatal blow Monday after the party’s steering committee selected Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) over the progressive “Squad” member.
The Democrats’ steering committee selected Connolly, who had the backing of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), over Ocasio-Cortez during its meeting Monday evening, according to reports.
Connolly has served 16 years on the Oversight Committee, but his candidacy faced concerns due to his recent cancer diagnosis. House Democrats have also been reckoning with the party’s 2024 losses, sparking a movement to usher fresh voices such as Ocasio-Cortez into Democratic leadership.
Ocasio-Cortez was backed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus, while the New Democrat Coalition supported Connolly. Pelosi, who fractured her hip over the weekend, was rumored to be whipping votes on behalf of Connolly, which likely led to his success.
Although the steering committee’s vote against the Democrat socialist is a “significant setback,” she is reportedly still planning to move forward in the full caucus vote, where progressives believe she still has a path to win the powerful position.
The full caucus vote is to be held on Tuesday.
Monday night, after losing the steering committee vote, AOC wrote on social media, “WE ARE STILL IN THIS. Wipe your tears. This is the difficult business of hope and defying expectation. We do not give up. We run through the tape. Y’all aren’t allowed to throw in the towel until I do. 😉 Big breath. Locked in. Let’s do this.”
WE ARE STILL IN THIS.
Wipe your tears.
This is the difficult business of hope and defying expectation.
We do not give up.
We run through the tape.Y’all aren’t allowed to throw in the towel until I do. 😉
Big breath. Locked in. Let’s do this.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@aoc.bsky.social) December 16, 2024 at 9:58 PM
🚨 JUST IN: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 35, likely just LOST her bid to become a ranking member on the Oversight Committee – Axios
Rep. Gerry Connolly, 74, won the vote in the Democrats’ Steering and Policy Committee. It now moves to the party caucus. pic.twitter.com/YBiRxg6c9J
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 16, 2024
Democrats are voting on their ranking memberships. Steering committee supports Gerry Connolly for Oversight but AOC could still win a whole Democratic caucus vote
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) December 17, 2024
Today’s reminder that no change agent will be able to “nice” their way to power inside the Democratic Party — power will have to be ripped away from the establishment. They’re not gonna give it away in exchange for good manners or being a “team player.” https://t.co/MQVglsCFE6
— David Sirota (@davidsirota) December 16, 2024
The biggest symbolic test of old guard vs. new guard — the battle between 35-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and 74-year-old Gerry Connolly to lead House Oversight Democrats — will play out in just a few hours.
The latest in Playbook: https://t.co/RT38PuXRqt
— POLITICO Playbook (@playbookdc) December 17, 2024
Pelosi is not hearing criticism from her side. The point isn’t whether Connolly is the best person for the job. The point is that AOC represents new ideas and the future. Picking Connolly sends the signal that the Democrats are stuck in the past. https://t.co/oiixERgR2v
— The Editorial Board (@johnastoehr) December 17, 2024
A powerful panel of congressional Democrats recommended Rep. Gerry Connolly over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez for the top Democratic post on the House Oversight Committee. https://t.co/msDDXq7r0z
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 16, 2024
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