Dem Lawmaker Who Defeated AOC To Lead Oversight Panel Promises ‘Trench Warfare’ Against Republicans

The Democratic lawmaker who quashed New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s bid to serve in a prominent House Democratic leadership role is promising to wage “trench warfare” against Republicans.

Democratic Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly, 74, narrowly defeated Ocasio-Cortez, 35, to serve as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee during a conference-wide vote of 131-84 among House Democrats Tuesday afternoon. Connolly is planning to launch a comprehensive attack against President-elect Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ agenda over the next two years, according to a  href="https://x.com/GerryConnolly/status/1869076114074935755" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement the Virginia Democrat released following his victory.

“We know what the Republican playbook will be,” Connolly wrote in a statement. “We’ve seen it before. They have demonstrated that they are willing to traffic in debunked conspiracy theories and enable the worst abuses of the Trump administration.” (RELATED: ‘Onslaught Of Attacks’: House Dems Push To Oust Aging Committee Leaders Following Election Defeat)

“This will be trench warfare,” Connolly added. “Now is not the time to be timid. I promise the American people that our Committee Democrats will be a beacon of truth and prepared from Day One to counter Republican gaslighting. We will be disciplined. We will be laser focused in getting results on the kitchen table issues that affect the American people the most. We will stand up for our democracy and for truth. And we will protect the tremendous and historic progress we have made as House Democrats.”

Connolly also reportedly bested Ocasio Cortez 34-27 during a previous vote among House Democrats’ Steering and Policy Committee Monday. The committee plays an outsized role in deciding which Democratic lawmakers win leadership roles.

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi whipped votes against Ocasio-Cortez before the two votes, Axios first reported. Ocasio-Cortez’s defeat could be seen as a blow to the left-wing lawmaker’s quest to exercise greater political influence within the House Democratic conference.

“Tried my best. Sorry I couldn’t pull it through everyone – we live to fight another day,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on the social media platform Bluesky following her defeat.

Connolly has served on the House Oversight Committee since being elected to Congress in 2009. He is also facing an esophagus cancer diagnosis, which he announced following his reelection win in November.

Connolly’s ascension to ranking member of the House Oversight Committee comes as many long-time Democratic lawmakers in leadership faced competitive challenges from younger lawmakers over occupying top committee spots in what appears to be a partial generational change of leadership among House Democrats. Democratic Reps. Angie Craig of Minnesota, Jared Huffman of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland won committee ranking member slots Tuesday following their decision to challenge lawmakers who were significantly older and dealt with health concerns that may have worried some House Democrats about their abilities to lead the conference during the second Trump administration.

The House Oversight Committee is likely to be ground zero for House Democrats’ efforts to take on President-elect Donald Trump and his administration during the next four years.

“The responsibility of leading Democrats on the House Oversight Committee during Donald Trump’s second term in the White House is a profound and consequential one,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a letter to her House Democratic colleagues requesting their support for her bid to lead the House Oversight Committee on Dec. 6. “Now, more than ever, we must focus on the Committee’s strong history of both holding administrations accountable and taking on the economic precarity and inequality that is challenging the American way of life.”

Connolly’s Republican counterpart on the House Oversight Committee will be Kentucky Rep. James Comer, who used his perch on the oversight panel to lead House Republicans’ investigation into Hunter Biden during the last Congress. Comer will continue serving as chair of the House Oversight Committee during the next two years, according to an announcement the Kentucky Republican made on Dec. 10.

Connolly and Ocasio-Cortez both sought the top Democratic position on the House Oversight Committee following  Raskin’s decision to step down from the panel and seek the ranking member position on the House Judiciary Committee.