On Wednesday, January 19, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee,  announced the new Democratic members of that Committee, a slate dominated by New Englanders.

Joining the Committee for the first time are Representatives Chellie Pingree (ME), Joe Courtney (CT), Peter Welch (VT), and James McGovern (MA).  Also joining are Representatives Marcia Fudge (OH) and Terri Sewell (AL), plus Delegate Gregorio Sablan (Northern Mariana Islands).

Returning to the Committee are Ranking Member Collin Peterson (MN), Tim Holden (PA), Mike McIntyre (NC), Leonard Boswell (IA), Joe Baca (CA), Dennis Cardoza (CA), David Scott (GA), Henry Cuellar (TX), Jim Costa (CA), Tim Walz (MN), Kurt Schrader (OR), Larry Kissell (NC), and Bill Owens (NY).

Of the new Democrats, only Sewell is a freshman.  The rest are sophomores and juniors, or, in the case of McGovern, a 7-term veteran.  McGovern is a co-chair of the Congressional Hunger Center and a long-time leader of anti-hunger causes.  Sewell and Fudge are members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Comparing the Republican and Democratic membership of the Committee, regional differences are quite striking.  There are four West Coast Democrats but no Republicans from that region.  And now there are four New England Democrats and no Republicans from that region.  There are but four Midwestern Democrats, but twelve Republicans.  The South weighs in with 13 Republicans and five Democrats.

Assignment of the Democratic ranking members of Subcommittees has not yet been announced.  We reported on the Subcommittee chairs here.