Texas Rep. Kay Granger’s decision to step down early as chair of the House Appropriations Committee opens one of the most powerful jobs in Congress.
But unlike the usual scramble to claim the powerful gavel, the race to fill Granger’s seat may not be much of a race at all, with Oklahoma’s Tom Cole emerging as a clear front-runner and consolidating support from senior appropriators.
Cole, the Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee chairman, is the only member running for the position thus far, and has the support of nine of the other subcommittee leaders, also known as “cardinals.”
