Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) has formally launched a bid to chair the House Financial Services Committee, setting up a challenge to the panel's longtime Democratic leader, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), according to a report by The Hill's coverage of the launch. The outlet's reporter, Julia Shapero, wrote that Casten made the move in a letter to his Democratic colleagues on Thursday.
In that letter, Casten asked for his colleagues' support as he seeks the gavel in the new Congress, The Hill reported. The summary of that report does not include the full text of the letter, and it does not say how many members have responded or pledged their support.
Politico reported separately that Waters has officially launched her own bid to lead the committee. In its live update, written by Jasper Goodman and Katherine Hapgood, Politico said that "Waters is facing a challenge from Rep. Sean Casten," placing the two Democrats in the same contest for the chairmanship.
The two reports describe the same contest from different points. The Hill focused on Casten's letter to colleagues, while Politico focused on Waters's formal announcement. Neither summary states when Waters's launch took place beyond the date of Politico's publication, and the summaries do not say whether either candidate has the backing of a majority of the panel's Democrats.
The Hill's summary is cut off partway through a sentence that begins to describe where Democrats stand on the race, so this report does not characterize their positions. The sources also do not describe the committee's responsibilities or the procedure by which its chair is chosen, and they do not indicate when the vote for the next chair is expected.
Casten and Waters are both Democrats, and the sources report that their competition is for the same leadership post on the committee. Beyond the two launches and the challenge described by Politico, the available reports do not say what either candidate has proposed for the panel if chosen.
Sources: The Hill: Sean Casten launches bid for House Financial Services chair; Politico: Maxine Waters officially launches bid to lead House Financial Services.