Rahall to seek top Dem spot on transportation panel

House Natural Resources Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) will seek the top Democratic spot on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the next Congress, his committee spokesman confirmed Tuesday.

Rahall will seek to move away from a panel on which he has been top Democrat for 10 years in order to be a leading player on possible efforts to enact major surface transportation law in the next two years. The panel oversees key issues for his district and state, including roads, barges, freight rail and the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Rahall's Natural Resources Committee spokesman Blake Androff said it is unclear whether Rahall will send a letter to fellow Democrats announcing his intent and touting his credentials for the top role on the transportation panel. He is next line to be chairman of the panel given the reelection loss of its current top Democrat, James Oberstar (Minn.).

Reps. Jerry Costello (Ill.) and Peter DeFazio (Ore.) are two other senior Democrats on the transportation panel who are believed to be interested in the ranking member slot. Costello Monday took himself out of the running for the ranking slot on the Science and Technology Committee even though he was next in line to replace retiring Chairman Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.). He said he wanted to focus on legislation in the transportation panel, where he will rank at least third among Democrats.

Rahall would presumably get the job if Democrats simply follow the seniority ladder.

Rahall’s move could open the door to a possible Democratic battle to lead the party on the Natural Resources Committee.

Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) — who is actually a more senior Democrat on the panel than Rahall — might be interested in the perch, where he would be a top Democratic voice on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and fossil fuel issues.