On Tuesday, Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly of Virginia defeated fellow Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York in the race for the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee in the 119th Congress.
Mr Connolly has been a member of Parliament since 2009. lost Ocasio-Cortez won 131-84. Ocasio-Cortez has been a rising star in the party since she was first elected in 2018, but Connolly was also one step ahead.
Despite Ocasio-Cortez's success, veteran conservatives in the Democratic Party, especially former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), fought hard against her candidacy.
First, Connolly was already on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee 10 years before Ocasio-Cortez was born. His political experience and seniority likely helped him secure support from within the party.
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
There is certainly a desire among Democrats to modernize the party, which is part of the reason progressives like Ocasio-Cortez have risen to national and political prominence so quickly. . Despite Ocasio-Cortez's success, veteran conservatives in the Democratic Party, especially former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), reportedly fought hard against her candidacy.
Ocasio-Cortez's loss was preceded by a vote by the Democratic Party Steering Committee late Monday night, in which 34 people voted in favor of Connolly, compared to 27 for Ocasio-Cortez. The committee does not include all members of the Democratic conference, but it is unusual for that party to oppose the committee's recommendations.
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