Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) launched a bid Tuesday to become the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight and Accountability Committee in the next Congress, a high-profile seat that will be on the front lines of the polarized fight over President-elect Trump and his promised second-term agenda.

The position is soon to be vacated by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who is seeking the ranking member position on the House Judiciary Committee.

In a letter to fellow Democrats, Connolly said he’s ready to take on Republicans under a second Trump administration, when the GOP will control all the levers of power in Washington and Democrats will lean heavily on combative opposition figures at the committee level.

“We must expose and dismantle bad faith Republican efforts to promote conspiracy theories, intimidate witnesses, and undermine democratic processes,” Connolly wrote. “I've done this effectively in my........

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