Inside the 3-way race to lead House Democrats’ education fight against Trump

House Democrats are champing at the bit over who will lead their efforts against the Trump administration’s education agenda in the next Congress.

Democratic Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (Ore.) and Jahana Hayes (Conn.) are both challenging ranking member Bobby Scott (D-Va.) for chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee as the incoming Democratic majority looks to lower the cost of childcare, reverse the dismantling of the Education Department and reengage with the student loan crisis.

In the wake of Democrats’ sweeping victories in Tuesday’s midterms, the contest for the chair is likely to be a civil one, with Hayes telling The Hill all three have been on the committee for years and “care about the same Democratic policies.”

“We’ve worked together, but there are some things that I just think that I could do differently. I’ve asked for a hearing on school shootings the entire time I’ve been on the committee, and we’ve never even addressed it,” said Hayes, who announced her bid to challenge Scott for the top Education panel spot in September.

“As far as both Rep. Scott and Rep. Bonamici, I would look forward to continuing to work with them because they are valuable members of the committee. No one leads the committee all by themselves. But I just think that as Democrats we have to just have a broader imagination, and it can’t just be about seniority. It has to be about meeting the moment that we are in,” she added.

Hayes first joined Congress seven years ago, giving her the least tenure of the three. Bonamici was first elected in 2011, and Scott has been on the committee since 1993.

Scott also has the most experience in the leadership position, previously serving as the chair from 2019 to 2023 and sitting as the ranking member the past two years.

And that long tenure for Scott has earned him some good will with his colleagues.

“I’ve known Bobby Scott since I first entered Congress. I’ve spent all but a few months on the Labor and Education Committee. … So, Bobby has been, from my perspective, and quite frankly, the vast majority of people that not only serve on the committee that know Bobby, he’s been that fighter since day one, for workers and certainly for students,” Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) told The Hill.

“He advances results versus advancing his own brand, and given today where the headline and making it on social media is the goal, Bobby has always been about the results. He’s done that,” Norcross added. “There is no reason other than personal ambition to change the direction of the leadership of our committee. And I stand 100 percent with Bobby, and look forward to him serving as our chairman.”

Bonamici announced her intention to lead Democrats on the panel in October, promising to reestablish the Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee and hold hearings on gun violence.

“The Education and Labor Committee needs a leader who can meet this moment with passion and experience — a leader who can work collaboratively, unite and uplift our members, and deliver results,” she wrote in a letter sent to colleagues the day after the election.

In his own “Dear Colleague” letter in September, Scott pointed to his “proven record” in his quest to take back the chair, and the day after Democrats captured the House majority, he sent a message to the heads of 10 federal departments and agencies reminding them of their duty to preserve public records of interest.

“The second Trump Administration’s approach to education, labor, and health care has been defined by one thing: abandoning the people these departments were established to serve. This Administration has moved to dismantle the Department of Education while eviscerating the programs students and teachers rely on,” Scott said in a statement to The Hill.

“As the top Democrat on the Committee, I intend to hold this Administration accountable by calling them to answer for their actions. I will use Congress’ oversight tools and leave no stone unturned as I fight for policies that actually deliver for the American public,” he added.

The Education Department did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

Democrats on the committee say they are looking for a leader to take on the Trump administration but also to lead on legislation to address affordability concerns.

“We need to both reverse the damage under Trump and put forward real legislation with teeth that ensures every child, regardless of their background, is able to receive a quality education,” Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said in a statement to The Hill.

“With a new majority, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to change course, starting with reversing the cuts to the Department of Education, repealing the new federal voucher tax credit, and making sure that every child has access to a quality education, from universal pre-K and early childhood education to affordable higher education,” she added. “That means expanding Pell Grants, creating pathways to free college, investing in our teachers, fully funding our Title I schools, making childcare more affordable, protecting our public libraries, and expanding bilingual education.

Other Democratic members of the committee told The Hill childcare, civil rights, AI usage, higher education affordability and nontraditional postsecondary options such as apprenticeships are high on their lists of education priorities for the next Congress.

Meanwhile, across the Capitol, Democrats in the incoming Senate majority are planning to exercise their new oversight powers against the Education Department, which under President Trump has hired half its workforce and sought to move major responsibilities to other federal departments through interagency agreements.

“Trump and Congressional Republicans spent more time attacking teachers and fighting culture wars for the past year and a half, and on Election Day, they got schooled. Voters made clear they are sick and tired of watching our education system used as a political pawn,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said in a statement to The Hill.

“Democrats will hold Secretary [Linda] McMahon accountable for her actions to illegally dismantle and defund the Department of Education. We need to fight to expand funding for our schools, support special education, and make higher education affordable. Democrats are united in fighting for our public schools, our children, and our future,” Markey added.