Stansbury may run for House committee leadership

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico is said to be considering vying for the top Democratic position on the House Natural Resources Committee.

Stansbury, 45, is taking a “serious look” at running for ranking member on the committee after 76-year-old Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., stepped down due to health concerns, Punchbowl News reported. If she does, she’ll be facing off against 60-year-old Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman of California, who announced his bid in a statement Monday.

Either Stansbury or Huffman would represent a generational change atop the committee, amid a flurry of other baton-passing in recent years in the House, some voluntary, others not.

In a Republican-controlled House, ranking member is the highest position a Democrat can hold in a committee.

Stansbury’s office declined to confirm or deny the rumors after multiple calls and emails from the Journal on Tuesday.

The House Natural Resource Committee covers a vast jurisdiction, including anything from the national parks to oil and gas, mining and relations with Native American tribes.

Stansbury’s potential bid follows a greater trend among younger lawmakers that’s bringing about a generational reckoning within the party.

Before the launch of the last session two years ago, all three top Democratic leaders stepped down in favor of younger members: former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84, former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, 85, and former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, 84.

In July, President Joe Biden, 82, withdrew from the presidential race after a poor debate performance and rising pressure from the party. Biden then endorsed 60-year-old Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. And this week, Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin, 61, announced he is challenging New York Democrat Jerry Nadler for his spot atop the House Judiciary Committee. And California Democrat Jim Costa, 72, and Minnesota Democrat Angie Craig, 52, both announced bids this week to challenge Georgia Democrat David Scott, 80, for the top post on the House Agriculture Committee.

This marks a shift for the Democratic Caucus that typically chooses ranking members based on seniority. Before now, younger members have rarely tried to skip the line and in years past would wait decades for the chance at committee leadership. But with a new generation of Democratic House leaders, so comes more change. The leaders’ offices have tacitly allowed the challenges by not moving to block them as leaders in the past have.

Now, appearances on the campaign trail and contributions to other lawmakers’ reelections may make or break Stansbury’s rumored run.

Huffman donated $94,500 to other Democrats’ campaigns in the latest election cycle, while Stansbury donated a mere $17,600 to the party, according to financial records sourced by Open Secrets.

A third of Stanbury’s contributions went to state-specific funds, like the Democratic Party of New Mexico.

What might align Democrats in Stanbury’s favor is her visibility on the campaign trail, supporting other candidates in what’s called stumping.

With Stansbury yet to formally announce a bid, the fate of the ranking member seat remains uncertain.