Georgia Rep. David Scott is struggling to retain his post as the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee as the party goes through what Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described Wednesday as a "generational transition."
Next week, the Democratic steering committee is expected to consider nominees for several committee ranking member positions, including the three-way race for the Agriculture Committee between Scott and Reps. Angie Craig of Minnesota and Jim Costa of California.
“As often has been the case in the past, committee leadership challenges emerge,” Jeffries, D-N.Y., said at a news conference Wednesday. “Let me also make clear that House Democrats continue to value the experience that many long-serving members of the caucus bring to the table.”
He cited the reappointment of several long-serving members to lead their committees, like Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s uncontested confirmation as ranking member of the Appropriations Committee.
Still, Jeffries has remained neutral in the House Agriculture Committee ranking member race and notably has not defended Scott’s standing.
“I haven’t had a single member of the Congressional Black Caucus express that concern to me,” Jeffries said when asked if his neutrality was causing concern among the caucus.
But some members of the CBC, including Agriculture Committee Reps. Don Davis, D-N.C., and Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., have come out in support of Scott.
“I think he’s done an excellent job as chair and as the ranking, and I will be supporting him should he be on the ballot,” Bishop told Agri-Pulse last week. Scott has told reporters that he intends to stay in the race.
Punchbowl News reported that while all candidates were invited, Scott did not attend four candidate forums including one hosted Wednesday by the CBC.
Scott also did not return to Congress for the two weeks of session between elections and Thanksgiving while undergoing treatment on his back.
“I had a great surgery on my back to make sure I have an opportunity to continue to fight,” Scott told Agri-Pulse on his first day back to Congress after rehabilitation.
Scott did host a meeting Wednesday shortly before the CBC candidate forum was scheduled to discuss farm bill extension talks with other Democrats on the panel. Several members in attendance said the ranking member race did not come up despite all three candidates being present.
Davis, who has maintained firm support for Scott throughout the race, said the ranking member “just led a great meeting” in response to questions about Scott’s health and attendance at candidate forums.
Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., another House Agriculture and CBC member, said he is supporting Scott and that the ranking member has “done a fine job.”
“I think there are many good candidates, but I’m sticking with the leadership of Mr. Scott,” Jackson said.
He said the race is less focused on a difference in policy priorities and is instead more of a personality and leadership issue.
“Some people are trying to assert themselves to have bigger leadership roles, and I understand that,” Jackson said.
While she did not specify who she is backing, Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett said Tuesday night that Democrats on the committee want to be confident that their ranking member will fight for Democratic values when it comes to food and farming across the country. She said the challenges by Costa and Craig arise from questions about how aggressive Scott has been as the ranking member.
“I think people are just nervous, and so I think that they’re just wanting to be assured that there’s going to be the proper level of aggression,” Crockett said.
On the flip side, she said there’s some anxiety about two frontliner Democrats vying for the ranking member role. Crockett explained that it’s important for the farm bill to represent the entire country, but Democrats also don’t want front liners to become at odds with their district.
“When it came down to voting for this really pretty hideous farm bill, there were no safe Democrats that voted for it. There were only frontliners that voted for it which I think still instills a bit of angst around this,” Crockett said.
Neither Craig nor Costa voted to advance the farm bill out of committee in May. Still, Crockett said members want assurances that there will be a collective vision, and having a safe Democrat at the helm may present more calm.
Another frontline member, Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., told Agri-Pulse she is supporting Craig.
“She has a personal story that I think resonates with what we work on on the House Ag Committee. She comes from a family that benefited from SNAP benefits, she has a family that were once southern farmers, and know kind of the struggles of our southern commodities. She comes from the Midwest, so she understands corn and soybeans,” Budzinski said. “So I think she brings a vision.”
Budzinski said conversations with colleagues have so far focused on passing a farm bill and supporting the Democratic party in rural parts of the country.
Illinois Democrat Rep. Eric Sorensen said he’s leaning toward Craig. He said she has demonstrated she can be a leader in agriculture and in her district.
“But hey, Jim Costa, he’s a great member as well, comes from a long background and a family of farmers and so I think that’s worthy of votes as well,” Sorensen said.
Craig was endorsed by the Congressional Equity Caucus Wednesday. After praising her background, the release noted that there has never been an openly lesbian U.S. representative lead a democratic committee.
If elected, "Congresswoman Craig will finally break this glass ceiling," the caucus' release said.
Costa said he feels he’s getting good support from members during conversations. On Wednesday, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which Costa is a member, endorsed the California Democrat.
“The CHC trusts Rep. Costa’s unmatched experience and bipartisan leadership to tackle the complex challenges confronting farmers, rural communities and Hispanic families in today’s evolving agricultural landscape,” the caucus wrote in its endorsement.
Lydia Johnson contributed to this story.
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