After a quiet couple of months, the race to be the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee is heating up again, Roll Call reports.  

As the November election nears, the two Democrats vying for the party’s top spot on the panel are stepping up efforts to show off their clout.  

Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey made the bolder move on Thursday, releasing a letter signed by 50 of his supporters that outlines why they think he should be given the assignment over his opponent, Rep. Anna G. Eshoo of California.  

“First and foremost, seniority is critical to this institution and Frank is the next most member of the Committee,” they wrote in the letter, obtained by CQ Roll Call, of Pallone, who is the current No. 3 on the committee, while Eshoo falls behind at No. 5.