Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has reportedly launched a behind-the-scenes effort to thwart Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) bid to serve as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
Pelosi, 84, would rather see Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) serve as ranking member on the high-profile panel and is “actively working to tank” the 35-year-old New York Democrat’s bid, according to Punchbowl News.
The former House speaker has been “making calls” urging Democrats to support Connolly, 74, over Ocasio-Cortez, the outlet reported on Thursday.
Pelosi has publicly backed Connolly’s candidacy but the scope of the powerful Democrat’s lobbying campaign was previously unknown.
Connolly and Ocasio-Cortez are in a heated intra-party race to replace current Oversight Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).
The Democratic Steering and Policy Committee will meet next week and make a recommendation to the full Democratic caucus on who should be elected ranking member on the panel tasked with handling oversight of the incoming Trump administration.
Multiple outlets have reported that Ocasio-Cortez has the support of the majority of Democrats on the oversight panel.
Ocasio-Cortez also appears to have an unlikely ally in House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.).
“I’m a big AOC fan,” Comer told CNN on Thursday. “Obviously, I don’t agree with very much of her policy, but I think she’s a good person, I think she’s very well-spoken.”
The Kentucky Republican indicated that he didn’t have a good relationship with Raskin – who is angling to get the No. 2 spot on the House Judiciary Committee next year – and he expects to have a “good working relationship” with Ocasio-Cortez if she were to become ranking member.
“I tell the press when they ask about the race for ranking member, the Democrats have nowhere to go but up after having Jamie Raskin for the last four years, so, I think AOC would be great,” Comer said, before sliding in that Connolly would also “be great.”
Pelosi’s office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
