Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a self-proclaimed socialist and co-founder of the leftist "Squad," has been a rising star in the Democratic Party for the last several years and recently launched a bid to be the next ranking member on the House Oversight Committee.

The congresswoman's push for a leadership position on the important committee came up short, however, as her fellow House Democrats voted 131 to 84 in secret ballots to select Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) as Oversight's ranking member, Fox News reported.

Connolly, who hails from the party's establishment wing, thanked his colleagues for selecting him to lead Democrats on the committee and told reporters that he was "raring to go" combat and hold accountable President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration and the "gaslighting" Republicans who will support Trump's agenda.

Faced opposition by Pelosi and establishment Dems

The New York Post reported that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, after losing the ranking member vote, said in a social media post, "Tried my best. Sorry I couldn’t pull it through everyone -- we live to fight another day."

She had been elevated over the past two years to be the second-ranked Democrat on the Oversight Committee behind ranking member Rep. Jaime Raskin (D-MD), who will take over the ranking member position on the Judiciary Committee next year and endorsed Ocasio-Cortez to be his replacement.

Just days before the vote, Axios reported that the progressive congresswoman was the favorite to be named ranking member because in addition to Raskin, she also had the support of a majority of her fellow Democrats on the committee, which was said to be a significant factor in her favor.

However, she also faced staunch opposition to her ascendency by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who reportedly backed Rep. Connolly over her and was said to have been quietly reaching out to other Democrats to convince them to vote the way that she wanted on the committee leadership position.

Indeed, Punchbowl News reported at the time that Pelosi was "making calls" on Connolly's behalf and "actively working to tank" Ocasio-Cortez's ranking member bid, with the outlet noting that the ex-speaker's "behind-the-scenes maneuvering shows the amount of political capital Pelosi’s willing to put into the contest."

Ocasio-Cortez likely still poised for leadership role in the near future

A separate report from Axios after the vote revealed that numerous House Democrats firmly believe that despite the lost vote, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez remains poised to become a leader within the caucus in the near future.

Several members described the loss as less of a "repudiation" of the progressive congresswoman and more of a show of support for Rep. Connolly's experience and seniority on the Oversight Committee, where he has served for more than a decade. In fact, Connolly had been poised to become the ranking member in 2022 but had been passed over in favor of Rep. Raskin.

The outlet further suggested that Ocasio-Cortez may not have to wait long before getting another shot at the committee's top spot, given that Connolly, who is 74 and was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer, may be eyeing an impending retirement because of his age and health despite a reputation for being an energetic and highly involved legislator.

Connolly vows to engage in "trench warfare" against Trump and GOP

As for Rep. Connolly, Fox News reported that he said, "I thank my colleagues for their support and the confidence they’ve placed in me to lead House Democrats on the Oversight Committee," as he vowed to engage in "trench warfare" against the GOP majority and incoming Trump administration.

"Now is not the time to be timid. I promise the American people that our Committee Democrats will be a beacon of truth and prepared from day one to counter Republican gaslighting," he continued, and noted, "I did it before for four years, and bested them on a number of occasions, and I'm raring to go again."

Connolly added that an "emboldened" President-elect Trump may be "reckless" in attempting to implement his agenda and concluded, "There is a law in this land, and we're going to make sure it's enforced."