Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) on Monday claimed the first round of the two-step contest to lead Democrats on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee in the next Congress, besting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to win the recommendation of the Democrats' influential Steering and Policy Committee.

The 34-27 vote lends a boost to Connolly, the more senior of the two candidates, heading into a vote of the full Caucus later in the week. The Steering and Policy panel is headed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and is packed with leadership allies.

A vote of the panel — while essentially symbolic — also sends a signal to the broader caucus about which candidate the party brass........

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