The dean of New York’s delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Jerry Nadler, is fighting a movement to replace him as the top Democrat on the powerful Judiciary Committee.

If Nadler is ousted, it could open the door for another notable New York Democrat, Bronx Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to land a high-profile role in the new Congress.

Nadler’s seven years as the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel have been filled with historic moments, most notably two impeachments of Donald Trump.

Now, with Trump’s return to the White House just weeks away, the Judiciary Committee is poised to, again, be in the spotlight as a battleground over Trump’s policies, including his controversial push to deport large numbers of undocumented immigrants and overhaul the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigations.

The 77-year-old, who has been in Congress for 32 years, wants to help lead the Trump opposition by remaining in the committee’s top Democratic slot.

In a letter to colleagues, he wrote, “As a New Yorker, I have stood up to Donald Trump my entire career … I understand his playbook. I am well prepared to help thwart his plans to be a ‘Dictator on Day One.’”

But Nadler is facing competition for the job from a friend and ally.

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, seen as a rising Democratic star, announced his bid this week to replace Nadler as the committee’s Democratic leader.

In a letter explaining his thinking, Raskin wrote, “The stakes have gone way up since the election … The MAGA movement has not only a trifecta but a complicit Supreme Court waiting … House Democrats must stand in the breach.”

Raskin’s bid is being welcomed by some Democrats and their allies, who argue Nadler should follow the lead of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and step aside.

“Jerry Nadler should not want to become a Dianne Feinstein or a Joe Biden anytime in the near future, and he should not want committee hearings with [Republican chairman] Jim Jordan to be his debate moment with Donald Trump that Joe Biden had,” Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said.

“Jamie Raskin is the best foot forward for Democrats to think nimbly have important quips that make news and drive a message against Republicans,” he continued.

Raskin is currently the top Democrat on the influential House Oversight Committee. He replaced former New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who lost a 2022 primary contest to Nadler following redistricting in New York.

If Raskin ends up replacing Nadler on Judiciary, it will set off a fight for Raskin’s current job.

Of note, Ocasio-Cortez currently serves as Raskin’s number two on Oversight, where she has not shied from confronting Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not respond to questions from Spectrum News whether the congresswoman might pursue the top job on the Oversight panel.

House Democrats are expected to figure out this game of leadership musical chairs in the coming weeks.