Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is expected to jump into the race for the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee and has informed some of her colleagues of her plans, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
Ocasio-Cortez has been phoning Democratic members in recent days to inform them of her plans, according to the sources.
The New York Democrat will face Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia for the perch, which is an important role for Democrats as they look to counter Trump in his second term.
Publicly, Ocasio-Cortez has continued to leave the door open about whether she will jump in.
“I’m certainly interested in the position and I’m having a lot of conversations with my colleagues,” she told CNN Wednesday. “I think it’s incredibly important that we prepare ourselves fully for the incoming Trump administration.”
Ocasio-Cortez said she is “taking a lot of calls, having a lot of conversations, and we will be having a decision soon.”
Ocasio-Cortez said she has learned a lot from serving under Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, pointing to how Democrats were able to “derail” Republicans “effectively” from bringing impeachment articles against President Joe Biden to the House floor.
Connolly is the only other candidate in the race so far, but many lawmakers have been waiting to see what Ocasio-Cortez does.
The jockeying is part of broader Democratic efforts to shake up committee leadership and push for a new generation of leaders as the party grapples with how to counter President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress in the new year.
Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York has decided not to continue his post as the top Democrat on House Judiciary Committee, paving the way for Raskin to take over, leaving the vacancy atop House Oversight.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
