Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) is seeking the position of top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, the lawmaker’s office confirmed Wednesday in a letter.
The California Democrat, who currently serves as ranking member on the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries, wrote that he will seek to replace Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who has served as the top Democrat on the panel since 2019. Grijalva has announced he will retire after his 12th term, which he won this year.
In the letter to his fellow committee Democrats, Huffman emphasized the incoming Trump administration’s likely targeting of Biden-era environmental regulations and the possibility that the House GOP edge is narrow enough for the balance of power to possibly flip before 2026.
“My district experiences some of the worst impacts of the climate crisis including extreme drought, devastating wildfires, flooding, sea level rise, toxic algal blooms, and biodiversity loss,” Huffman wrote.
“But we are also known for innovative solutions and models of resilience — the nation’s first and largest floating offshore wind project, ambitious forest management projects incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge, nature-based solutions to protect coastal communities and sequester carbon, and more,” he added.
Huffman’s announcement sets up a potential clash with Grijalva, who returned to Capitol Hill this week for the first time since beginning treatment for an unspecified form of cancer. The California congressman’s letter downplays any potential conflict between the two, calling on the committee’s Democrats to name Grijalva as “Ranking Member Emeritus.”
“I would look to him as a key partner in guiding the Committee through the challenges and opportunities of the next two years,” he said.
However, Grijalva told The Hill he intends to remain the ranking member for the rest of his tenure.
Leaving a closed-door meeting of the House Democratic Caucus Tuesday, the Arizona congressman said he had not discussed the future of the leadership post with other committee Democrats.
“I mean, if there’s an issue, then it needs to be brought up by members of the Caucus,” he added.
Mike Lillis contributed reporting.
