A recap for those who didn’t follow: earlier this month, 35-year-old AOC
launched her bid to become the lead Democrat on the House oversight committee – a crucial minority leadership position. She was competing against 74-year-old Gerry Connolly, a longtime representative from Virginia who was next in line for the job. Connolly, by the way, has esophagus cancer and is
undergoing chemotherapy. Still, his allies have made it very clear they think he has the energy for the job. “Gerry’s a young 74, cancer notwithstanding,” said
Virginia Democrat Don Beyer.
The race between AOC and Connolly was broadly seen as not just representing a competition between two people but two different futures for the Democratic party. AOC represented a generational shift: a fresh young face and energetic communicator who represents a more
anti-establishment spirit. Connolly was business as usual for the Democrats. For a while, it seemed like AOC had a real shot at winning, but then 84-year-old Nancy Pelosi, recovering in hospital from hip-replacement surgery,
reportedly made a bunch of phone calls and urged people to back Connolly. On Tuesday, he won by a vote of 131-84.