Rep. Robert Garcia won the approval of a key panel Monday to become the next top House Democrat on the Oversight Committee, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The 47-year-old Californian is in just his second term in Congress. But he pitched himself as a consensus candidate who could bridge the divides between Democrats seeking confrontation with President Donald Trump and the sensibilities of party elders.
Garcia, who previously served as mayor of Long Beach, California, also touted his management experience to colleagues. He quickly rose through the ranks in Congress and served as a co-chair of Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign. He’s currently a member of Democratic Caucus leadership.
The unofficial maneuvering for the top Democrat on Oversight began in April, when Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly announced he would step aside from his post in wake of the return of his esophageal cancer. He died in May at the age of 75.
The race became a litmus test for the party over questions of age and seniority. Two senior members — Reps. Kweisi Mfume, 76, and Stephen Lynch, 70 — faced off against two insurgent young progressives — Garcia and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, 44.
Connolly had triumphed over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 35, in a race for the post late last year that was similarly seen as a proxy fight over tensions around seniority in the party. Ocasio-Cortez’s decision to pass on a second bid opened the field for the handful of candidates that spanned different corners of the caucus.
The full Democratic Caucus will vote Tuesday on the Oversight post. Members usually, but don’t always, follow the Steering panel’s recommendation.
“I’m very grateful to the Steering and Policy Committee,” Garcia said after the meeting. “There’s still an election tomorrow, and there’s still obviously an important case to be made in the morning, and that’s a case I’m planning on making, and so we’re going to run through the tape.”
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