One day after House Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., lost her high-profile primary race to fellow New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, two Democratic lawmakers have put their names forward to replace her as the leader of the key panel – Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly and Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch.

What You Need To Know

  • Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly and Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch each announced their intent to replace Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., as Chair of the House Oversight Committee

  • The news comes one day after Maloney lost her high-profile primary race to fellow New York Rep. Jerry Nadler

  • Connolly has sat on the panel since 2009 and chairs its Subcommittee on Government Operations; Lynch touted his more than 20-year tenure on the oversight panel and his role in ongoing investigations into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, election security

  • Republicans on the oversight panel have called for investigations about a number of topics, including Hunter Biden, the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last year and the origins of COVID-19 — signaling what the panel might do should the House flip after November’s midterms

Rep. Connolly, who has sat on the panel since 2009 and chairs its subcommittee on Government Operations, wrote in a statement Wednesday that he will seek the party’s top position on the committee — either as its chair, should Democrats hold their House majority, or as ranking member if Republicans flip the chamber.

“The American people must see the Committee on Oversight and Reform as a force for making government work, enforcing accountability to Congress, and most importantly, protecting our fragile democracy and strengthening the institutions that define American democratic resilience,” Connolly wrote. “That was the legacy of Elijah Cummings, and that was the high standard our tenacious Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney set when she took over our Committee.”

Connolly heaped praise on Maloney, specifically calling out her leadership on the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act — a bill she co-sponsored which was signed into law earlier this year — as well as the September 11th Health Fund and the Equal Rights Amendment.

The Virginia Democrat said that the panel has been his “top priority” for nearly a decade and a half, and has focused on key issues including postal reform, modernizing the government, defending federal employees and “holding the Trump administration accountable.”

“Our Caucus must continue to repair the damage left by the Trump administration, while also protecting the progress made by President Biden and our Democratic majorities,” Connolly wrote, adding: "We need a tested leader who will not be timid in the face of Republican insurrectionists.”

Lynch's announcement followed later Wednesday, writing in a letter to colleagues that "inlight of recent changes caused by the results of the Congressional primary in the 12th District of New York, I am writing to respectfully request your support for my candidacy to serve as the lead Democrat on the Committee on Oversight and Reform in the 118th Congress."

The Massachusetts Democrat, who has served in the House since 2001, touted his more than 20-year tenure on the oversight panel and his role in ongoing investigations into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, election security, challenges to America's veterans and preparedness for future pandemics.

"As an attorney and legislator, I belive the role of the Oversight Committee is more important than ever," he said, adding that he is "well-prepared to serve at this pivotal moment in our history, when it seems some Republican members have actively chosen to disregard the truth and their sworn oaths of office in favor of political gamesmanship, divisive rhetoric, and disinformation regarding the 2020 election, the January 6th investigation, misconduct by former President Trump, and other issues of critical concern to the American people."

Other notable Democrats on the panel include Del. Eleanor Norton, D-D.C., and Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Cori Bush, D-Mo., Katie Porter, D-Calif., Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and vice chair Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif. It's unclear who else might enter the fray for the top spot.

The House Oversight Committee — the chamber’s main investigative body — has held hearings on a variety of key issues, including the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, addressing gun violence in the wake of recent mass shootings, prescription drug pricing, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the climate crisis.

Republicans on the oversight panel have called for investigations about a number of topics, including Hunter Biden, the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last year, the origins of COVID-19 and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases — signaling what the panel might do should the House flip after November’s midterms.

“Retirement can’t shield Dr. Fauci from congressional oversight,” Kentucky Rep. James Comer, the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee, wrote in a statement on Monday after the infectious disease expert announced he was stepping down from his role in public service.

“The American people deserve transparency and accountability about how government officials used their taxpayer dollars, and Oversight Committee Republicans will deliver,” he added.