Representative Jerry Nadler dismissed Jamie Raskin’s difficult him for the highest spot on the Home Judiciary Committee on Tuesday night.

“I feel we’ll be okay,” Nadler informed reporters on Tuesday night throughout votes, calling the state of affairs “unlucky.”

Raskin informed reporters that he didn’t stage his problem out of spite, saying he’s bought “nice affection and admiration” for Nadler. However his choice to problem him anyway reveals what number of youthful Democrats see the previous guard as not being as much as the duty of opposing Trump throughout his second time period.

Nadler, a New Yorker, has been the highest Democrat on the Home Judiciary Committee since 2017 and a staple in Congress since 1992. In contrast, Raskin, who represents Maryland’s Washington, DC suburbs, has solely been round since 2017, when Trump bought into energy the primary time. He noticed his nationwide profile enhance throughout Trump’s first presidency, due to his stint as an impeachment supervisor within the first Trump impeachment.

That star energy compounded throughout his time because the lead impeachment supervisor after January 6 and his time main the Home Oversight Committee as Republicans tried to question Joe Biden. Throughout that point, he famously referred to the Oversight Commitee as “the Reality Squad,” the place he led a coterie of younger, telegenic Democrats reminiscent of Jasmine Crockett, Maxwell Frost and his quantity two on the committee, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Now, his star has risen as soon as extra.

And Raskin shouldn’t be the one Democrat who’s taking full benefit of the state of affairs as a second Trump time period looms nearer. Quite a few different youthful Democrats are additionally staging challenges.

The 2024 presidential election outcomes revealed that Democrats have a gerontocracy downside. Certain, the celebration subbed in Kamala Harris towards the tip of the marketing campaign — however solely after it spent a 12 months telling the press and voters that octagenarian Joe Biden was absolutely able to beating Donald Trump.

The nice irony of all of that is that it was former Home speaker Nancy Pelosi, who’s 84, who led the cost to shove Biden out — although for years, many Democrats thought she had been in energy for too lengthy and muttered about how she wasn’t any longer as much as the job (and this doesn’t even start to the touch the embarrassment of the late Dianne Feinstein staying in her seat amid her deteriorating state.) Pelosi solely stepped apart in late 2022 after Democrats misplaced the Home. In doing so, she lastly made manner for youthful management within the type of Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar.

A giant motive for the gerontocracy on their celebration’s facet is that Democratic politicians are inclined to worth seniority and expertise. In contrast, Republicans cap the period of time a member is usually a chair to 4 years, permitting for brand spanking new blood. This explains why Republican management on the Home facet is way youthful.

Clearly, youthful Democrats not assume this example is possible. Whereas Raskin, at 61, is barely 16 years youthful than Nadler, he was solid in cauldron that was the primary Trump presidency. And may he reach taking out Nadler, it will create a gap for the highest job on Oversight.

On Tuesday night, Ocasio-Cortez mentioned she was concerned about taking that spot. Whereas this is sensible — AOC is technically the number-two — she must jockey for the highest job with Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, who has been within the Home since 2001, and Gerry Connolly, who has served since 2009.

Beneath regular circumstances, she could be informed to get in line. However Ocasio-Cortez has emerged as one of the efficient questioners on the Oversight Committee. Her questioning of former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen in 2019 was particularly efficient.

Elsewhere, one other older Democrat — Consultant Raúl Grijalva — stepped down from his publish as the highest Democrat on the Pure Sources Committee earlier this week. Grijalva’s stewardship of the committee was mainly nonexistent, contemplating he was nearly totally absent from work as he underwent most cancers remedy. One other battle for an vital seat will now start.

These battles are additionally little greater than glorified recognition contests, nonetheless, because the votes occur in inside caucus conferences and contain interesting to different members of the celebration. Raskin has proven himself to be a dutiful pleased warrior, main the cost towards Trump and turning into a favourite of Pelosi’s. Ocasio-Cortez has advanced from her extra rebel youth the place she overtly campaigned towards incumbent Democrats to being one in all Biden and later Harris’s best surrogates.

However it’s not at all times assured that being youthful and extra in style interprets to success. Living proof: Jasmine Crockett, who got here to media prominence after infamously saying Marjorie Taylor Greene had a “bleach-blonde bad-built butch physique.” Not lengthy afterwards, she tried turning into chairwoman of the Democratic Coverage and Communications Committee, however misplaced out to the extra skilled Debbie Dingell of Michigan, who has served within the Home since 2015 and whose late husband John Dingell held the congressional seat since 1955.

Seniority nonetheless issues within the Democratic Social gathering. However, beneath a second Trump presidency, it could begin to matter a bit bit much less.