Rep. Jim Costa Loses Bid to Become Democrats' Top Ag Committee Member

Agriculture

By News

Published 5 months ago on

December 17, 2024

Rep. Angie Craig, (D-Minn.) speaks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)

Democrats elect Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) as ranking member of the House Ag Committee, defeating Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno), 121-91.
The closed-door vote came after Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) dropped out. He is battling health issues.
Craig, in her third term, argued her focus on Heartland voters and inflation issues made her the stronger choice.

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House Democrats voted Tuesday to select Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) as their top member on the Agriculture Committee, favoring the junior legislator over veteran Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno), The Hill reported.

The vote, conducted behind closed doors by secret ballot in the Capitol’s basement, resulted in a tally of 121 to 91 in Craig’s favor.

Craig, who is in her third term, defeated Costa, who has served on Capitol Hill for two decades and is the committee’s second-ranking member. The Steering and Policy Committee had recommended Craig over Costa and Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), who dropped out of the race following the committee’s decision.

Scott, 79, has been dealing with health issues that have impacted his mobility, leading some Democrats to express concerns about his ability to lead the committee.

Costa, 72, is a respected veteran from California’s San Joaquin Valley, but his role with the Blue Dogs — a group of moderate Democrats — has sometimes put him at odds with the more liberal members dominating the House Democratic Caucus.

“I’d like to thank Congressman David Scott for his service and leadership to American agriculture in the last four years and congratulate Rep. Angie Craig on her election as Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass a Farm Bill in the 119th Congress. By working together, we can achieve stronger results for our communities, rural and urban alike,” Costa said in a statement.

Craig argued she was the better choice, particularly given her focus on appealing to Heartland voters, who have shifted toward the GOP in recent years. “I just won my D+1 district by nearly 14 points because my farmers and rural constituents know that I’ll meet them where they’re at,” Craig said after the vote.

Craig plans to prioritize issues affecting working-class Americans, particularly inflation, which has hit grocery stores across the country since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more at The Hill.