New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has career options, but one thing she won't be doing is vying for the top Democratic spot on the House Oversight Committee. "It's actually clear to me that the underlying dynamics in the Caucus have not shifted with respect to seniority as much as I think would be necessary, and so I believe I'll be staying put at Energy and Commerce," AOC said in a Monday statement, per the Hill. The 35-year-old congresswoman had been named as a possible replacement for current ranking member Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, who has decided to step down soon due to the return of his esophageal cancer.
Ocasio-Cortez, who used to sit on the Oversight Committee before moving over to Energy, had previously run against Connolly, nearly four decades her senior, for that committee role in December, losing 131-84. Politico notes that AOC stepping aside from this particular run will likely stir up more whispers that she's interested in an even higher office, especially since she's also been touring with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and holding "Fighting Oligarchy" rallies around the US.
In terms of the contender she'd ultimately support now that her own name is officially off the table, AOC demurred. "There's no vacancy. There's no official race yet, so I won't comment on that," she tells NBC News. "I want to be respectful of ranking member Connolly." Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch, named by Connolly to serve as the interim ranking member until a new one is chosen, has said he intends to run for the job permanently. Other candidates who are rumored to be interested in the gig include Florida's Maxwell Frost, Texas' Jasmine Crockett, and Maryland's Kweisi Mfume. (More Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stories.)
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