How a potential panel shakeup will test Ocasio-Cortez's influence

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could face the biggest test of her influence yet if a coveted spot as the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee opens up.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who currently holds the job, is running against Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) for the top Democratic spot on the Judiciary Committee. If Raskin successfully ousts Nadler, that will kick off a scramble to replace him.

Although Democrats are reluctant to publicly discuss an Oversight bid before the Judiciary challenges are settled, lawmakers are privately making calls to test the waters, quietly jockeying behind the scenes. In addition to Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), possible contenders for the top spot include Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).

It's the latest example that will test how far House Democrats are willing to go in shaking up their seniority-dominated conference. Several lawmakers are already openly challenging senior Democrats for the top party spots on key panels.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said Monday he would end his bid for reelection as the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, potentially clearing the way for Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), who’d been challenging Grijalva, though Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) has also signaled interest. And atop the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), who’s faced questions about his health and his ability to lead the panel’s Democrats, is facing strong challenges from Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.).

But the 35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez is a different case. She's not just significantly younger than those other contenders, she's also frequently challenged the party's status quo writ large. She was often at odds with the previous generation of House leaders and, along with other members of the progressive "Squad," has used her powerful microphone to, at times, express skepticism of Democratic leadership.

It's unclear if she could be swept in with a wave of generational change or could face turbulence in the Steering and Policy Committee, a leadership-appointed panel that decides most committee positions. The committee is expected to start considering the contested ranking member slots next week and will make recommendations to the full caucus after holding secret-ballot votes.

If Ocasio-Cortez mounts a bid and wins her caucus’ support, it could amount to the ultimate inside power play for the outspoken progressive, who first came to office by primarying a powerful committee chair in 2018. A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez didn’t respond to a request for comment.

It would come less than two years after Raskin and Oversight Committee Democrats gave her the vice ranking member position, a move that gave her a high-profile perch amid concerns that Raskin could be absent during his cancer treatments at the time.

Ocasio-Cortez is also close with Raskin, first serving as his vice ranking member on a previous Oversight subpanel overseeing civil rights issues. She’s also helped mentor younger committee members and gone viral for high-profile tangles with Republicans on the panel, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

Daniella Diaz contributed to this report.