Given the current makeup of congress, choose which of the following members would most likely be selected as chair of the house armed services committee, and explain why.

congressperson w: democrat, 28 years in congress, 12 years on committee

congressperson x: republican, 24 years in congress, 18 years on committee

congressperson y: republican, 20 years in congress, served as a military officer

congressperson z: democrat, 16 years in congress, former democratic candidate for president