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Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is reportedly eyeing a top position on the House Oversight Committee.

Though currently run by House Republicans, the committee’s leadership structure still includes a ranking Democrat at the top, second only to the committee’s Republican chair, James Comer.

“I’m interested [in the position], and I’m certainly having a lot of conversations with my colleagues about it, and I’ve been receiving a lot of outreach about it in the caucus as well,” she told HuffPost.

At the moment, she serves as vice ranking member, a position she’s leveraged to furiously spar with her Republican peers.

Case in point:

The committee’s current ranking member is Rep. Jamie Raskin, but he’s reportedly aiming to pick up a position as the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, leaving the top spot open for Ocasio-Cortez on the Oversight Committee.

Speaking with HuffPost, Ocasio-Cortez touted her work alongside Raskin in keeping committee Republicans at bay.

“Ranking Member Raskin and I have been laying out a strategy over the last two years that has been particularly effective in that committee at really being able to wrestle back not just the power of the committee, especially given the fact that we’re in the minority, where it’s especially difficult to do that, but we’ve also been able to affirmatively advance our priorities,” she said.

“And so I think, given the tremendous amount of work and groundwork that we’ve laid out in the last two years ― and how important it’s going to be to continue and deepen that work, given the incoming Trump administration ― that’s something that’s very much weighed heavily on me,” she added.

All this said, she does face one key obstacle to becoming a ranking member: Competition from others, including Rep. Gerry Connolly, who this week announced in a lengthy “Dear Colleague” letter that he too is seeking the position.

“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is a beat I know well, and right now we need an expert who can parry the worst Republican attacks on our institutions and deliver reform where it is necessary and needed,”  he wrote.

“Burrowing into issues, empowering our members to their full potential, and managing the broad range of policies and politics that come before our Committee – that is the job I will do as the Ranking Member,” he added.

Connolly also named President-elect Donald Trump in his letter.

“Oversight Democrats must be an aggressive team focused on defending American democracy from President Trump and articulating a Democratic agenda that resonates with our constituents,” he wrote. “As a former frontliner who survived my toughest reelection effort by just 981 votes, I know that our work in Congress must be seen as responsive to the kitchen table issues our voters are facing back home. Our constituents need to know that when it comes to them and their priorities, we are going to fight like hell.”

Ocasio-Cortez also faces potential competition from Rep. Ro Khanna, whom the Washington Examiner has confirmed has been “hearing from colleagues about it, and he’s considering options.”

Other potential challengers include Reps. Stephen Lynch and Raja Krishnamoorthi.

All this comes amid speculation that Ocasio-Cortez is interested in running for president in 2028. While most on the right have dismissed her interest as absurd, some have warned of the dangers she poses.

Take former Trump Treasury official Monica Crowley, who warned on Fox News last week that Ocasio-Cortez is very popular and also very new media-friendly, giving her an enormous advantage in elections.

“She has tremendous grassroots support,” Crowley said. “But also she was an early adopter of social media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc. So she’s connecting directly to voters.”

“Just a word of warning to the Republicans, to my party: Do not underestimate AOC. She’s young, she’s vibrant, she’s attractive. I think she’s wrong on everything, but she does have real grassroots support,” Crowley continued.

Sad, but true.

Vivek Saxena
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