Sources tell The Hill that Democrats have chosen Sens. Tim Johnson (SD) and Maria Cantwell (WA) to take over the committee chairmanships that retiring Sens. Chris Dodd and Byron Dorgan will leave at the end of the year.
Johnson will take over Dodd’s post on the Banking Committee. Senate leaders said in September that Johnson would succeed Dodd if Dodd chose to take over Sen. Ted Kennedy’s seat on the HELP Committee. (Harkin took that chair instead.)
Cantwell will become chair of the Indian Affairs Committee. Although she is not the next ranking member, the four senators ahead of her already have chairmanships.
