Rep. Gregory Meeks, New York Democrat, is expected to be the next chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, replacing Rep. Eliot L. Engel, who was unseated earlier this year after serving as the top Democrat on the panel since 2013.
The majority of the House Democratic Steering Committee voted for Mr. Meeks to lead the panel, according to several reports, while Rep. Joaquin Castro, Texas Democrat, received 13 votes, and Rep. Brad Sherman, California Democrat, received 10 votes.
The lawmakers saw an unusually competitive race to fill the high-profile role, as Mr. Meeks remained the top contender despite Mr. Sherman being the second-highest-ranking Democrat on the panel.
Mr. Meeks received an endorsement from the Congressional Black Caucus in his bid to be the first Black chair of the committee. He is also believed to have close ties to the incoming Biden administration.
The full House Democratic caucus is expected to finalize the results of the steering committee’s ruling later this week.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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