Nadler Cedes Top Democrat Role On House Judiciary

On Wednesday, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) bowed out of the race to be the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, which has oversight of the Department of Justice, in the new Congress starting next year.

Nadler, who has held either the chairman or ranking member position in the panel for the past several years, revealed his decision in a letter to colleagues while vouching for Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) to take his place during the first half of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.

“As our country faces the return of Donald Trump, and the renewed threats to our democracy and our way of life that he represents, I am very confident that Jamie would ably lead the Judiciary Committee as we confront this growing danger,” Nadler wrote.

News: Rep. JERRY NADLER will be stepping down from race to be the top Democrat on House Judiciary Committee, making the difficult decision after speaking with staff and Rep. Jamie Raskin who announced his bid for the job. Here’s the letter he sent to colleagues, obtained by AP pic.twitter.com/Tgswdt8Yzu

— Farnoush Amiri (@FarnoushAmiri) December 4, 2024

The announcement came amid reports of a push within the Democratic Party to pave the way for younger members to take on leadership roles after Republicans completed a 2024 election sweep that included the GOP keeping control of the House while winning back the Senate and the White House. Nadler is 77 while Raskin is 61.

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Raskin, who led the January 6-focused impeachment inquiry against Trump and was a member of the now-defunct January 6 Committee, declared his candidacy to become the top Democrat on the judiciary panel earlier this week. In his own letter, Raskin spoke about combating Trump’s “MAGA” movement.

“In the 119th Congress, the Judiciary Committee will be the headquarters of Congressional opposition to authoritarianism and MAGA’s campaign to dismantle our Constitutional system and the rule of law as we know it,” Raskin wrote to his colleagues, adding: “I hope to be at the center of this fight.”

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Raskin has held the role of ranking member on the House Oversight Committee for the past couple of years. With Raskin stepping away, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has expressed interest in taking his place, setting up a clash against Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA).

“I’m having a lot of conversations with my colleagues,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters. “I think it’s incredibly important that we prepare ourselves fully for an incoming Trump administration as well as fighting for everyday working Americans.”