Vern Buchanan loses race for key committee chairmanship, leaving Florida low on clout

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan was passed over Monday for the coveted role of Ways and Means Committee chair.

Buchanan spent more than a year campaigning for the job and was considered a frontrunner as the GOP committee member with the most seniority. But the Republican Steering Committee instead gave the gavel to Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri.

“I want to congratulate Jason and wish him well," Buchanan said in a statement. "We have a big agenda to fulfill and I look forward to working with him and the committee on shared priorities. This is a big loss for Florida which hasn’t had a committee chairman in five years despite being the fastest growing state with the second largest Republican delegation in the House."

Smith's victory leaves Florida low on congressional clout. No Florida lawmaker has chaired a House committee since 2017, a fact Buchanan's allies used to try to boost his campaign.

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First elected in 2006, Buchanan is among the most senior members of the House, another fact that should have helped him in a heavily-seniority driven institution.

Ways and Means is among the most powerful committees in the House, with responsibility for tax policy and oversight of entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

Buchanan raised big money for the National Republican Congressional Committee this cycle and had hoped to benefit when Republicans regained the majority.

"Florida deserves a seat at the leadership table. Our party needs to move forward and show the country that we’re ready to lead," he said.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Vern Buchanan loses race to be House Ways and Means Committee chair