What's New
The Democratic Party has been criticized for maintaining a gerontocracy—being ruled by the elderly—instead of shifting direction with a new generation of voices.
The bulk of the criticism came after 74-year-old Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly defeated 35-year-old New York progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the role of ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. Connolly had the backing of several veteran lawmakers, most notably influential 84-year-old former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
One expert told Newsweek the Democrats were making a "huge mistake by turning to the same old faces." However, a second said the move was more of a "tiny missed opportunity" than a major mistake for the party. Newsweek has contacted the offices of Ocasio-Cortez, Connolly, and Pelosi for comment via email.
Why It Matters
There were calls to appoint Ocasio-Cortez as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee to signal a needed change in leadership and direction in the Democratic Party following the crushing 2024 election defeats.
At 35, Ocasio-Cortez would have been House Democrats' youngest committee leader. Instead, Connolly will join multiple House septuagenarians and octogenarians in senior roles during the next congressional term.
Richard Neal, 75, will lead Democrats on Ways and Means. Frank Pallone, 73, will serve as the ranking Democrat on Energy and Commerce. Maxine Waters, 86, will be the ranking member of the Financial Services Committee, and Rosa DeLauro, 81, will lead the Democrats on the Appropriations panel.
What to Know
Connolly, who has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, defeated Ocasio-Cortez in a closed-door vote by 131-84.
The Virginia lawmaker cited his 15 years in office as a key reason his Democratic colleagues backed him over Ocasio-Cortez.
"I think my colleagues were measuring their votes by who's got experience, who is seasoned, who can be trusted, who's capable, and who's got a record of productivity, and I think that prevailed," Connolly told reporters after the vote.
Democrats are now facing progressive criticism for failing to learn from past lessons, opting not to push the party forward or effectively challenge a second Donald Trump presidency and GOP-controlled House and Senate with a younger generation at the helm.
Similar criticisms were directed at the party when it President Joe Biden was put forward lead the 2024 presidential ticket. The 82-year-old eventually ended his reelection bid after a poor televised presidential debate performance against Trump in June.
Following the House Oversight Committee vote, MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid said "almost nothing the Democratic Party does makes any damned sense." Reid made the statement while sharing a quote from 74-year-old Virginia Congressman Don Beyer, who described Connolly to Axios as a "young 74, cancer notwithstanding."
"They are hanging onto their gerontocracy and consultant class at the expense of their most loyal voters. And let's just be clear, they'll be fine while our communities pay the price," Reid posted on BlueSky.
What People Are Saying
David B. Cohen, a professor of political science at the University of Akron in Ohio, told Newsweek: "Democrats are making a huge mistake by turning to the same old faces—and by old I mean old—to continue to run the party. The fact that these folks continue to run for leadership spots given the 2024 election results demonstrates a political tone deafness and lack of interest in building the Democratic Party of the future.
"Ocasio-Cortez is perhaps the most effective communicator, and one of the few stars, Democrats currently have in Congress and someone who has been able to bridge the gap and work with establishment leaders despite being an influential member of the progressive caucus. But the grey hairs of the Democratic Party seem determined to hold on to power at all costs. Until the Democratic Party wants to truly turn over leadership of the party to a new generation it will continue to founder."
Michael Binder, a professor of political science at the University of North Florida, told Newsweek: "I think it's more of a tiny missed opportunity instead of a giant mistake. Honestly, the vast majority of voters have no idea what committees exist in Congress, much less who the ranking minority leader is. So, in that sense, it doesn't matter a ton. By highlighting some of their younger members, they could have increased their name recognition and gotten them some press. But, again, that's really a very inside baseball play. Of course, that only matters if those younger folks are the potential drivers of a winning coalition. It's entirely possible an AOC might be too far left for the mainstream."
Liberal political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen posted on BlueSky: "Democrats refuse to learn their lesson. Refuse to take generational change seriously. Refuse to spotlight the party's most effective communicators."
David Sirota, a former senior adviser for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, posted on X, formerly Twitter: "Today's reminder that no change agent will be able to 'nice' their way to power inside the Democratic Party—power will have to be ripped away from the establishment. They're not gonna give it away in exchange for good manners or being a 'team player.'"
Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America and former communications director for former President Barack Obama, posted on X: "Valuing seniority over political and messaging chops is exactly how Democrats got into this mess in the first place."
New Hampshire Representative Annie Kuster told The Associated Press: "I think there are members that very much want this generational change, but I think members who had only been here a couple of terms gave them pause."
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted on BlueSky: "Tried my best. Sorry I couldn't pull it through everyone - we live to fight another day."
What's Next
There have been calls for Ocasio-Cortez, one of the biggest Democratic names in Congress and already touted as a future presidential candidate, to seek a leadership position elsewhere within the party.
"The view of her is evolving," Maryland Representative Glenn Ivey told Axios. "She seems to have changed her approach to legislating, and I think she's figured out how to rock the boat without tipping it over. We're going to need more players like that going forward."