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Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia defeated fellow Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) on Tuesday in the race to become the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee in the 119th Congress.

Connolly, who has served in Congress since 2009, defeated Ocasio-Cortez in a 131-84 vote. Although Ocasio-Cortez has been a rising star within her party since she was first elected in 2018, Connolly had a leg up.

Despite Ocasio-Cortez’s success, the old guard of the Democratic Party, specifically former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), dug their heels in when she launched her bid.

For starters, Connolly had already been a staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a decade before Ocasio-Cortez was even born. His political experience and seniority likely factored in to support he secured from within his party.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

There is certainly a desire among Democrats to modernize their party, which is partially why progressives like Ocasio-Cortez have risen to national and political prominence so quickly. Despite Ocasio-Cortez’s success, the old guard of the Democratic Party, specifically former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), reportedly dug their heels in when she launched her bid.

Ocasio-Cortez’s loss was preceded by a late Monday-night vote from the Democratic Steering Committee, where 34 members voted in favor of Connolly compared to 27 votes for Ocasio-Cortez. Although the committee does not include every member of the Democratic conference, it is uncommon for the party to buck suggestions from the committee.

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