Comment Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) is poised to succeed a history-making woman and make his own. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), the first woman to hold that position, announced Thursday that she would step down as the top Democrat, clearing the way for Jeffries, 52, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, to seek the position. . If elected by House Democrats, Jeffries would become the first black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress. In a statement, Jeffries paid tribute to Pelosi but made no mention of his plans to seek the leadership, though his move has been widely reported. Pelosi “is the most accomplished speaker in American history, and our country is arguably better for her extraordinary leadership.” He went on to call her a “steady hand on the hammer in some of the most tumultuous times the nation has ever faced.” Jeffries, in a nod to their historic rise in the House, added: “The President often reminds us that our diversity is our strength. I know we will draw on that wisdom as we come together as a Team to begin a new chapter.” One of Pelosi’s longtime colleagues, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), announced he would also step down from his leadership position. Jeffries is expected to be joined by Reps. Katherine M. Clark (D-Mass.) and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), who will seek the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively. Rep. James E. Clyburn (DS.C.) will relinquish his House Majority seat but become assistant leader, a position that will now be fourth in the leadership structure. Jeffries, a lawyer, hails from downtown Brooklyn, the epicenter of New York’s Democratic power. He is a self-proclaimed progressive who has forged relationships with Democratic establishment figures in Washington while navigating the burgeoning left in his backyard. He took office in 2013 and has been chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, a leadership position, since 2019. In that role, he was the youngest member of the leadership. With Thursday’s moves, House Democrats were on the cusp of a major generational shift — from octogenarians like Pelosi, Hoyer and Clyburn to Jeffries. Clark, 59; and Aguilar, 43. The leadership election is the week of Nov. 28, and the party appeared united behind the new plan. In an interview with the Atlantic last year, Jeffries described where he fit into today’s political landscape, saying, “I’m a black progressive Democrat who cares about addressing racial and social and economic injustice with the fierce urgency of now.” He added: “There will never be a moment when I will bend the knee to hard-left democratic socialism.” Jeffries, a graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, Georgetown and New York University School of Law, was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2006 after unsuccessfully challenging a Democratic establishment favored by Brooklyn Democratic machine Roger Green. After Jeffries lost an earlier challenge to Green, Democratic lawmakers immediately redistricted to exclude Jeffries’ home at the time. The blatant move to stifle a young, ambitious political talent became the subject of a 2010 documentary about the gerrymander. In that film, Jeffries was the reformist politician challenging the establishment. Jeffries was elected to Congress in 2012 after longtime Rep. Ed Towns suddenly announced he would not seek re-election. Jeffries was widely expected to win after Towns withdrew, but suddenly faced a primary challenge from Charles Barron, a Black Panther and longtime New York City official. Fear that Brooklyn might send Barron to Congress prompted a national effort by establishment Democrats to support Jeffries, which proved successful. Once in Congress, Jeffries represented not only a mix of liberal politicians and the establishment, but also the youthful raucousness of Brooklyn. He once paid tribute to slain rapper from his district, Christopher Wallace, better known as the Notorious BIG Jeffries called Wallace “the classic embodiment of the American dream”. He invoked several of the rapper’s stage names in 2017, adding: “Biggie Smalls, Frank White, the king of New York. He died 20 years ago today in a tragedy that happened in Los Angeles. But his words live forever.” Jeffries then rapped lyrics from one of the rapper’s most famous songs, “Juicy”: “It was all a dream/ I was reading Word Up magazine/ Salt-N-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limo/ Hangin’ pictures in my wall/ Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl.” In 2015, Jeffries considered running for mayor of New York City, as the Democratic mayor at the time, Bill de Blasio, failed to deliver on his campaign promise of wholesale changes to the city’s widely criticized police tactics. In 2020, Jeffries served as impeachment director in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, reflecting Pelosi’s confidence in him. Jeffries also helped sharpen the Democrats’ message by frequently entering the campaign trail and making himself available for interviews with reporters. In 2020, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) called on Joe Biden to suspend his presidential campaign during Trump’s Senate trial. When a reporter asked Jeffries about McCarthy’s comment, Jeffries, the New York Times reported, simply replied, “Who?” If elected Democratic leader, Jeffries will find himself tangled with McCarthy, who is seeking the presidency next year in the Republican-controlled House.
