Hakeem Jeffries appears all but certain to become the first Black lawmaker elected speaker of the House after helping Democrats secure a decisive victory in the midterm elections. The New York representative has led House Democrats as minority leader since 2022 and was the first Black politician to lead either party in the House or Senate.
As speaker, Jeffries would stand second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president. His expected rise would cap nearly 14 years in the House, where he advanced from a member focused on criminal justice policy to a senior party leader under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then minority leader.
Speaking on Tuesday night, Jeffries said Democrats understood that voters wanted significant change. He said the party needed to deliver and that Congress should put Americans first.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Jeffries has represented parts of the borough since 2013. Before entering politics, he worked as a lawyer and said his experience assisting community members through a law school legal clinic helped spark his interest in criminal justice reform. He served six years in the New York State Assembly, where he worked on rules for the New York Police Department’s warrantless stop-and-frisk searches.
In Congress, Jeffries led efforts to pass the bipartisan First Step Act, which reduced sentences for some drug crimes. The work involved close cooperation with Jared Kushner, then President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Jeffries has described the partnership as producing results, while saying that getting legislation done can require building an unlikely coalition.
Jeffries drew criticism from some Democrats this year after privately meeting Kushner. He later said he had accepted Kushner’s request to discuss affordability and maintained that Democrats intended to hold the administration accountable.
As speaker, Jeffries will also face questions about how to work with the party’s progressive wing, including Democratic Socialists of America-aligned and far-left members. He was previously part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and sponsored Medicare for All proposals, but has also criticized hard-left democratic socialism. He has said his experience as a Black man informs how he views systemic inequality, including the role of racism.
Jeffries served as an impeachment manager during the Senate trial over Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine. He has not committed to pursuing impeachment during Trump’s second term, saying earlier this year it was not a top Democratic priority and later that the party had neither ruled it in nor out.
Jeffries has said lowering costs for Americans will be the new Congress’s primary focus. The House is scheduled to hold a floor vote for speaker when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
Sources: NPR Politics.