The New Democrat Coalition, a center-left group of House Democrats, endorsed Connolly on Friday. Shortly after that, the Congressional Progressive Caucus endorsed Ocasio-Cortez. Both Connolly and Ocasio-Cortez are members of the caucuses that endorsed them.

In a statement, the New Democrats said that Connolly is a “strong and talented communicator” who is prepared to “defend Democratic priorities” and stand up to President-elect Donald Trump’s “extreme actions.”

“He is the right choice to advance the interests of our full caucus,” New Democrat Coalition Chairwoman Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Chairman-elect Brad Schneider (D-IL) said in a statement.

In its statement, the Congressional Progressive Caucus said Ocasio-Cortez is a “powerful voice for working people” and that her “fearless advocacy” will help Democrats win the House in 2026. Progressives have been vocal about rekindling the Democrats’ relationship with working-class voters since the 2024 election showed blue-collar support trending toward Trump.

Connolly is facing Ocasio-Cortez in the race to replace Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) as the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee. Raskin is running to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) as the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee.

Ocasio-Cortez, 35, represents the newer generation of Democrats and serves as the committee’s vice ranking member, which she told the Washington Examiner has prepared her to lead the Democrats on oversight matters. Connolly, 74, more closely represents the establishment Democrats and has sat on the committee for 16 years — but some members in the party have expressed concerns about his candidacy following his cancer diagnosis last month.

Ocasio-Cortez’s jump into the race is part of a larger, partywide leadership switch-up on several different committees. The results of the 2024 election highlighted a generational divide between the older leadership of the party and a newer generation of lawmakers such as Ocasio-Cortez who are well-versed in social media and eager to go toe-to-toe with their colleagues both across the aisle and within the Democratic Party.

However, while many people in the caucus, including the New Democrats, have acknowledged the party needs to reflect and make changes after their election loss, not all of them see Ocasio-Cortez’s leadership as the answer.

The New Democrats’ endorsement of Connolly is not surprising, given that the Virginia Democrat is a member of the coalition. However, the endorsement comes after reports that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been actively working to sink Ocasio-Cortez’s bid for the Oversight Committee leadership role.

Pelosi has been making calls and campaigning on behalf of Connolly, according to Punchbowl News and Axios.

The Democratic Steering and Policy Committee met this week to consider the nominations, with plans to sit down next week on Monday to start making recommendations to the full caucus on ranking member positions.

House Republicans also faced contested leadership positions, with many vacancies drawing in a crowded race. Among the most-watched committee selections were those for House Financial Services, House Foreign Affairs, and House Energy and Commerce.