The role is opening after Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) stepped down due to cancer recurrence.
Ocasio-Cortez, who currently serves on the exclusive Energy and Commerce Committee, would have needed a waiver to rejoin Oversight. Her decision comes amid a generational shift in House Democratic leadership and growing speculation about her future, possibly eyeing a Senate run or even a 2028 presidential bid. A recent poll showed her leading Sen. Chuck Schumer by 19 points in a hypothetical Democratic primary.
