Robert Garcia Elected to Lead House Oversight Democrats

The congressman from California will be the ranking member on the high-profile panel following the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.).

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) speaks during a press conference on the release of Salvadoran Kilmar Abrego Garcia in San Salvador, El Salvador, on April 21, 2025. Marvin Recinos/AFP via Getty Images

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) has been elected as the new ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, becoming the top Democrat on one of Congress’s most powerful and visible panels.

Garcia, a former Long Beach mayor now in his second term in Congress, replaces Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who died last month at age 75 after a battle with esophageal cancer. Connolly had served on the committee for 16 years and was elected ranking member in late 2024 after defeating Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for the role.