Scoop: 87-year-old Holmes Norton Holmes Norton passes on Oversight bid after talk with leadership

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said Wednesday she is ruling out a run to be the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee after briefly entertaining the idea.Why it matters: The 87-year-old is the second most senior member of the panel, though her age would have undoubtedly been a significant obstacle.The current ranking member, 75-year-old Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), said Monday he is stepping aside "soon" amid his battle with cancer.The decision has spawned an inter-generational proxy battle among House Democrats over the leadership of the investigative panel.The latest: Holmes Norton said in a statement to Axios on Wednesday evening, "After consideration and discussion with House leadership, I have decided not to pursue the ranking member position on the House Oversight Committee."What happened: Holmes Norton had told Axios in a brief interview at the Capitol earlier on Wednesday that she was fine with Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) serving as the "interim" ranking member but wasn't ruling out a run to succeed Connolly."I may," she said when asked if she would throw her hat in the ring when Connolly formally stepped down, though she added that she hadn't "given it much thought."Asked in a followup interview to clarify that she was considering running for the role, Holmes Norton confirmed that she was but declined to offer further insight into her thinking.The non-voting delegate from Washington, D.C. previously sought to lead Democrats on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in 2022 but withdrew in favor of Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.).State of play: Lynch, 70, has said he plans to run for ranking member with Connolly's endorsement, arguing that experience should be prized over factors like youth, outside popularity and social media savvy.Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), 35, is considering another run for the role after losing out to Connolly last November.Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), 44, is expected to run. She and Ocasio-Cortez are both progressive stars with large social media platforms.Several other younger progressives are also considering runs, including Reps. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), age 46; Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), 48; Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), 47; and Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), 28, as well as Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), 76.Between the lines: Some lawmakers chalked Holmes Norton's interest up to a widely shared ambition among Democrats on the panel."So many people on that committee are thinking about seeking that," one House Democrat told Axios. "I've heard it from a lot of people."Editor's note: This article was updated after Holmes Norton decided not to pursue a ranking member bid.

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