Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., informed House colleagues that he plans to challenge Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., to be the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, according to multiple reports.
Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, announced his Judiciary candidacy in a letter to colleagues, Politico reported Monday.
"After a week consulting most of our Colleagues and engaging in serious introspection about where we are, I am running today to be your Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee in the 119th Congress," Raskin wrote.
"This is where we will wage our front-line defense of the freedoms and rights of the people, the integrity of the Department of Justice and the FBI, and the security of our most precious birthright possessions: the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the rule of law, and democracy itself."
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., reportedly led the charge for the group urging Raskin to replace Nadler as ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.
A constitutional scholar, Raskin earned national attention as manager of President-elect Donald Trump's second impeachment trial and as a member of Pelosi's House select committee investigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.
Some Democrats have secretly encouraged Raskin to run amid questions about Nadler's ability to stand up to Trump, who will be sworn into office Jan. 20 to begin a second term as president, Politico reported.
Raskin told colleagues that the party leadership approached him last month about his plans, according to one lawmaker, Axios reported.
Still, he could face some challenges in trying to replace Nadler.
"Leader Hakeem Jeffries has great respect for Ranking Member Jerry Nadler and spent 10 productive years serving alongside him on the House Judiciary Committee," Jeffries spokesperson Andy Eichar told Axios.
If Raskin, 61, supplants Nadler, 77, as the Judiciary Committee's ranking member, several House members are expected to compete for the Democrat leadership spot on the Oversight Committee. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., could vie for the position.
Raskin's decision to run against Nadler comes amid a generational shift on other House panels.
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., announced Monday he would not run again as the House Natural Resources Committee's top Democrat. Grijalva, 76, had faced a competitive challenge from Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif.
Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, is dealing with health issues. Scott, 79, faces challenges from Reps. Angie Craig, D-Minn., and Jim Costa, D-Calif.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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