Of all the generational fights playing out within their party this week, many House Democrats saw the race for their top post on the Oversight Committee between Reps. Gerry Connolly and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to be the truest test of seniority’s salience in their caucus.
In the week leading up to Tuesday’s caucus-wide vote, it seemed like the 35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez might just topple the 74-year-old Connolly. Her supporters urged their colleagues to turn the page on senior leadership by injecting Ocasio-Cortez’s spunk and virality into the party’s top brass, particularly atop the panel that serves as the most public-facing foil to the House Republicans.
But minutes after Connolly handily fended off Ocasio-Cortez’s insurgent bid in a 131 to 84 caucus-wide vote, Democrats’ takeaway was clear: Seniority still matters.