House Democrats appear likely to select New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a potentially historic move to elect the first black person to lead a party in Congress.
Jeffries launched his bid for House Democratic leader on Friday, promising his colleagues in a letter that he would empower and protect them — and expand their ranks.
“Our top non-government priority, for the sake of the American people, must be to regain the majority in November 2024,” Jeffries wrote.
In a sign of Jeffries’ emerging power, Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn quickly endorsed him after announcing they would step down from their leadership positions.
Pelosi blessed the new trio of leaders expected to succeed them — Jeffries, Massachusetts Rep. Kathryn Clark and California Rep. Peter Aguilar — in a statement Friday. The election for the leadership of the Democrats in the House is on November 30.
“A new day is dawning — and I’m confident these new leaders will lead our Caucus and Congress ably,” Pelosi said.
“Speaker Pelosi has left an indelible mark on Congress and the country, and I look forward to her continued service and will do all I can to help our new generation of Democratic leaders,” Clyburn said in a statement. And Hoyer said Jeffries “will make history for the institution of the House and for our country.”
At 52, Jeffries would represent a generational change from the current trio of House Democratic leaders, who are three decades older than him. He became chairman of the Democratic caucus in 2019, making him the youngest member to serve in the leadership.
In his letter Friday, Jeffries praised past leadership but said “more must be done to fight inflation, defend our democracy, ensure reproductive freedom, welcome young Americans, advance equal protection under the law and improving public safety throughout the country.”
He promised his former colleagues that he would give them more power in the legislative process, writing “we must plan a return to normal order”. He also said that in “dangerous times,” Congress must focus on passing bills to “fight crime” for Americans and “significantly enhance the safety of all members and their families.”
Jeffries appears to enjoy broad support among the House Democratic caucus.
Before Pelosi’s announcement, Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, told CNN she expected the caucus to back Jeffries.
“If he steps aside, I’m very clear that Hakeem Jeffries is the person I’m going to vote for and lead the Congressional Black Caucus to vote for,” Beatty said. “I don’t always speak for everyone, but I’m very comfortable saying that I think every Black member of Congress would vote for Hakeem Jeffries.”
And Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, former chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also weighed in on Jeffries. “Hakeem Jeffries came to my class and I’m a big fan of Hakeem,” Pocan told CNN. “I think he is extremely intelligent, he is a good person to bring consensus between the parliamentary groups. I think he will be an excellent leader.”
For months, Democratic lawmakers have whispered that Pelosi’s potential exit from Congress could clear the way for Jeffries. The Brooklyn attorney graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton, Georgetown and New York University Law School before being elected to the New York State Assembly in 2006. He has since served New York’s 8th District since who won his first election to Congress a decade ago. In the Trump era, Jeffries played a critical role in passing the bipartisan criminal justice overhaul bill known as the First Step Act and in arguing for the former president’s impeachment as House director in the first trial. He continued to shape the party’s messaging during the Biden administration.
Some House Democrats have waited too long to turn the page on the Pelosi era. He won the speaker’s gavel after the 2006 election, lost it after the 2010 election and won it again after the 2018 election.
“She’s a historic speaker who has accomplished an incredible amount, but I also think there are a lot of Democrats ready for a new chapter,” Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, who previously tried to oust Pelosi, told CNN.
But whoever follows Pelosi will serve in the shadow of her legacy as one of the most powerful and polarizing figures in American politics. The speaker was instrumental in passing the Affordable Care Act, the 2008 stimulus bill, a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package and, most recently, a sweeping $750 billion health care and tax bill that included the largest investment in American history to address climate change.
Pelosi, who will continue to serve in Congress representing San Francisco, will leave her successor with a larger-than-expected House minority after the 2022 midterm elections. Some Democrats have said they want her to remain leader.
Asked about Pelosi’s decision, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer clutched his chest and said he had begged her to stay.
“I told her when she called me and told me this and all that, I said, ‘Please change your mind. We need you here,” Schumer said.
This story and title have been updated with additional developments.
