Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic phenom from New York, on Tuesday lost an internal vote to lead her party on the Oversight Committee in the next Congress, a blow to a younger contingent of progressives eager for fresh faces to take on the hand-to-hand political battles of the Trump era.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, lost to Representative Gerry Connolly of Virginia, 74, an eight-term Democrat. Her defeat was a counterpoint to the generational change emerging elsewhere in the party, which handed top posts on other panels to younger lawmakers. The secret-ballot vote was 131 to 84, according to members.
Speaking to reporters after the vote to fill the open spot, Mr. Connolly, who recently disclosed he is being treated for cancer of the esophagus, argued that the idea that there was generational change afoot within the Democratic Caucus was a “false narrative” and that he and his colleagues were “looking at capability; we’re not looking at age.”
But on other panels, younger lawmakers on Tuesday beat out veteran leaders, a departure from the norm for Democrats, who for decades have largely abided by an unwritten rule that seniority trumps everything when it comes to meting out power.
Representative Angie Craig, Democrat of Minnesota, was elected by her colleagues to be the ranking member of the Agriculture Committee. Ms. Craig, 52, will replace Representative David Scott of Georgia, 79.
And Representative Jared Huffman of California, 60, on Tuesday won the internal race for the top spot on the Natural Resources Committee. Mr. Huffman will replace Representative Raúl Grijalva, 76, a progressive who was his party’s leader on the committee for a decade.
“It’s like the fountain of youth — we found it!” Mr. Huffman joked of Congress, the only place where 60 might be considered young. “I want to run the committee in my own way.”
The top spot on the oversight panel was open because Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, 62, the former ranking Democrat there, challenged Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, 77, for the top post on the Judiciary Committee, forcing his onetime mentor to withdraw from the race once it became clear he did not have enough support. Mr. Raskin was expected to be formally named as that committee’s ranking member later on Tuesday.
In Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s case, the House Democratic Caucus proved that it was not yet ready to promote a young, progressive member of the so-called Squad over a more moderate member with more seniority.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has over her three terms in Congress impressed many of her colleagues with her ability to act as a team player and talented messenger, transforming herself from an insurgent willing to confront party leaders into an adept inside player on Capitol Hill. She has served as vice ranking member to Mr. Raskin.
But the old guard still had its reservations, and Mr. Connolly had a powerful ally: former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had been making calls to persuade lawmakers to stick with him.
“My colleagues were measuring their votes by who has got experience, who is seasoned, who can be trusted, who has a record of productivity,” Mr. Connolly said. “That prevailed.”
Progressives lamented Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s defeat as a missed opportunity to reposition the party in the wake of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s re-election.
“It’s a loss for House Dems, who could have had a more compelling and interesting and dynamic approach to the next few years,” Faiz Shakir, a longtime adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont, posted on social media after the vote.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez managed to slip out of the conference room where the vote was taking place without speaking to reporters.
But she got a pep talk before leaving from one of Ms. Pelosi’s longtime allies and competitors: Representative Steny Hoyer, the patrician Democrat from Maryland who for years served as Ms. Pelosi’s no. 2.
“She’s a wonderful talent and the caucus really likes her,” Mr. Hoyer said. “If she’d been here a few years longer, it would have been different.”
“I told her I’ve lost a couple of elections myself,” he said. “Something will come along because she’s so dynamic and she’s such a great communicator.”
Mr. Hoyer added: “She’s still got 7 gazillion followers. She didn’t lose her followers.”
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