Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., has bowed out of the race for ranking member on the high profile House Judiciary Committee, according to a Dear Colleague letter he sent Wednesday.
Nadler’s decision opens a pathway for Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., to take over as the top Democrat on the committee. Raskin had launched a bid to challenge Nadler.
“As our country faces the return of Donald Trump, and the renewed threats to our democracy and our way of life that he represents, I am very confident that Jamie would ably lead the Judiciary Committee as we confront this growing danger,” Nadler wrote, endorsing Raskin to succeed him.
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Nadler (D-N.Y.) joins local politicians, transportation and environmental advocates for a news conference outside the Lincoln Tunnel urging the immediate implementation of New York’s Central Business District (CBD) Tolling Program, on April 21, 2023, in New York City.Â
“Although I will not be Ranking Member, I will still be an active member of the Committee, and I am eager to work alongside its new leadership in the battle to protect our most vulnerable communities and our most precious democratic ideals,” the 17-term New York Democrat added.
Nadler steps aside as several younger House Democrats have ambitions to unseat older, but established, party leaders in the next Congress.Â
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Raskin speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 28, 2023. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., earlier this week withdrew from the race for the top Democratic spot on the Natural Resources Committee after Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., announced his bid. A handful of lawmakers are also challenging Agriculture Committee ranking member Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., for his job, Politico reported.
Nadler’s ` did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Representative Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, during a hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Raskin thanked Nadler for his endorsement in a post on X.
“Jerry Nadler is an extraordinary lawyer, patriot and public servant. His dogged defense of civil rights and civil liberties is a great inspiration to our people. I am honored and humbled to have his support in the battles ahead,” the Maryland Democrat wrote.
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His presumptive elevation to the Judiciary Committee creates an opening for the ranking member position on the House Oversight Committee. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has voiced interest in that role, among others.
“I’m having a lot of conversations with my colleagues,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters Wednesday. “It’s incredibly important that we prepare ourselves fully for an incoming Trump administration as well as fighting for everyday working Americans.”