Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Democrats' ballot-box wins sparked a jostling for power on Capitol Hill, including a clash for control of the House panel that oversees automakers and a change in leadership among Republicans.

Representative Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, is making a bid to replace Representative John Dingell as head of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The top job in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is now open after its chairman, Joe Biden, was elected as the next vice president. Among House Republicans, a leadership shakeup is underway.

The changes represent more than Washington insiders trading titles, analysts said. The Energy and Commerce Committee will likely take the lead on climate change legislation in the next Congress. Dingell is the closest congressional ally of the auto industry and has long opposed updating fuel-economy standards or tightening limits on carbon emissions. Waxman, 69, is one of the environmental community's allies on such issues.

``You're changing who has the power to deal with major issues facing America and personalities make a difference,'' said James Thurber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University in Washington.

Waxman has been making calls to Democratic House members to rally support, said an aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Seniority and Allies

The battle pits Waxman, the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the 12th-most senior House lawmaker, against Dingell, 82, the most senior House member.

A possible tiebreaker: Waxman is an ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a fellow Californian who endorsed Dingell's primary opponent in 2002.

``Dingell really has a very good understanding of the industry'' and a Waxman chairmanship would be ``very unfortunate,'' said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

If Waxman were to become chairman, ``the fur would really fly,'' Cole said.

On the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden's election to the vice presidency leaves his panel chairmanship vacant.

Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, whose seniority makes him eligible for the top spot, said he won't give up his chairmanship of the Senate Banking Committee. The next Democratic senator in line, John Kerry of Massachusetts, is a possible candidate for secretary of state in President-elect Barack Obama's administration. A spokeswoman for Kerry didn't return a call seeking comment.

Lieberman's Post

Another leadership post may open on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, now led by Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, an independent. Lieberman may lose his chairmanship because he campaigned for Republican presidential nominee John McCain. Lieberman is to meet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid later this week to discuss his future on the panel, Reid's spokesman said.

In the House, Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel of Illinois has accepted the job as Obama's chief of staff, associates said, opening a leadership slot.

The House Republican leadership will also change in the wake of election losses.

Hours after polls closed Tuesday, Representative Adam Putnam said he won't seek re-election to the No. 3 Republican leadership post of House Republican Conference chairman.

Republican Shuffle

Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the No. 4 House Republican leader, is running to replace Roy Blunt in the second- ranking post of minority whip. Blunt said today he is leaving the leadership job.

On the House Government Reform Committee, ranking Republican Tom Davis of Virginia is retiring from Congress and his likely successor, Representative Chris Shays of Connecticut, lost his re-election bid. Representative Darrell Issa, a California Republican, said in a statement yesterday he wants the job.

On the House Ways and Means Committee, Chairman Charles Rangel of New York has requested ethics investigations into his own financial activities to head off complaints by Republicans, who have demanded that he step aside until the probes are complete.

Lanny Davis, Rangel's attorney, said the Harlem Democrat still intends to keep his seat. ``There's no shred of evidence he did anything wrong,'' he said.

Nadeam Elshami, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said Democratic leaders have no plans to ask Rangel to step aside as chairman.

To contact the reporter on this story: Laura Litvan in Washington at llitvan@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 6, 2008 12:52 EST