House Democrats are quietly engaged in a behind-the-scenes race for a key committee position, the second time in as many months that the party has had to fill one of the most prized positions in Congress.
Four Democrats are running to be the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, an investigative panel with public clout, subpoena power and an expansive portfolio. The position is open due to the death last month of Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia.
While Democrats in the minority have little power to shape the committee's work, the ranking member position comes with an enormous platform - and the possibility of becoming chair if the party wins back the majority in next year's midterm elections.
Whoever wins will immediately be squaring off against Republicans as they prepare for splashy hearings this summer on immigration enforcement , LGBTQ rights and former President Joe Biden's age and mental condition while in office.
As they hear from the candidates, Democrats are weighing many of the factors that were in play late last year, when Connolly, a veteran member of the committee, fended off a challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.