U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, was elected ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee for the 119th Congress.

Raskin was unanimously elected to the position by the House Democratic Caucus on Wednesday, after receiving endorsements from the House Democrats’ Steering and Policy Committee and the current ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerry Nadler, who recently announced he will not serve as leader of the committee next year.

“I am honored that my colleagues have placed their faith in me to lead Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee in the 119th Congress,” Raskin wrote in his victory statement. “I’m ready to mobilize our extraordinary members of the Judiciary Committee to defend American freedom, democratic institutions and the rule of law.”

In a “dear colleague”‘ letter released on Dec. 2, the Democrat announced his candidacy and expressed concern over the future of the country in the face of a GOP-controlled Congress and White House, calling next year’s political scene the “fight of our lives.”

“This time the MAGA movement has not only a trifecta but a complicit Supreme Court waiting in the wings and a dominant media propaganda system parroting all the lies,” he wrote. “House Democrats must stand in the breach to defend the principles and institutions of constitutional democracy.”

He urged his colleagues to “strategize and organize like never before” until Democrats “win the House back in 2026,” he predicted. With Republican’s thin 220-215 majority in the House, the Democrat said lawmakers need to advance legislation that will prevent a “further descent into MAGA chaos.”

The Maryland congressman reiterated the need for Democratic unity in a statement released shortly after the vote.

“As Democrats, our historic assignment now is to stand in the breach to advance the legislation, amendments and arguments that will block a further descent into MAGA chaos. Democrats need to maintain the integrity of our Constitutional order to advance a positive agenda for the common good,” Raskin wrote.

Raskin also thanked ranking member Nadler’s endorsement, adding that he looks forward to working with the congressman in “all the battles ahead.”

Congressman Raskin has been a member of the House Judiciary Committee since he joined Congress in 2017, and was heavily involved in the legislative aftermath of Jan. 6. Together with Congressmen Ted Lieu and Joe Neguse, Raskin successfully drafted an Article of Impeachment against then-President Donald Trump.

During the 118th Congress, Raskin served as the top Democrat in the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, leading opposition against House GOP’s efforts to impeach President Joe Biden.

The House Judiciary Committee was established in 1813, and is the second oldest committee in Congress.

Members of the committee are at the “forefront of some of the most significant issues facing our nation, including protecting Constitutional freedoms and civil liberties, oversight of the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, legal and regulatory reform, innovation, competition and anti-trust laws, terrorism and crime, and immigration reform,” per the committee’s website.

Have a news tip? Contact. Lori Rampani at lrampani@ sbgtv.com.