Hakeem Jeffries Set to Lead House as First Black Speaker
The New York representative will assume the second position in the presidential line of succession after winning the House majority in the midterms.
By Lina Lewis ·
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is positioned to become the first Black member of Congress to serve as speaker of the House.
Following the House Democratic victory in the midterm elections, Jeffries is expected to win the floor vote when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3. As speaker, he would rank second in the presidential line of succession, directly behind the vice president.
Jeffries has held a seat in Congress since 2013, representing parts of Brooklyn, N.Y. His rise to the top of the party hierarchy began as a rank-and-file member focused on criminal justice policy. He later served as a key lieutenant to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., before becoming House minority leader in 2022. That role made him the first Black politician to lead either party in the House or Senate.
His legislative background includes work in the New York State Assembly, where he spent six years regulating warrantless stop-and-frisk searches by the New York City Police Department. In Washington, he led the effort to pass the bipartisan First Step Act during the first Trump administration. That law reduced sentences for certain drug crimes. Jeffries collaborated with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Trump, to secure support for the bill. He told Time that achieving results in Washington often requires building a coalition of unusual suspects.
Despite his centrist approach to passing legislation, Jeffries has drawn scrutiny from the left wing of his party. He previously sponsored Medicare for All proposals and was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. In a 2021 interview with The Atlantic, he noted that hard-left progressives often view class as the defining problem in America. He argued that his experience as a Black man in the United States places systemic racism at the center of his policy views.
Jeffries has also served as an impeachment manager in the Senate trial concerning President Trump's pressure campaign on Ukraine. In that case, Trump withheld military aid while encouraging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden. Recently, Jeffries indicated that impeachment is not a top priority for Democrats in the new term. He told ABC in September that the party has ruled nothing in or out regarding future actions.
On Tuesday night, Jeffries addressed the House Democratic caucus following their election win. He stated that the group understands the need to deliver dramatic change to voters. He described the current state of government as broken and called for a Congress that puts the American people first. The new Congress will begin work on Jan. 3, when members vote to select the speaker.
