Hakeem Jeffries Set to Take Speaker Gavel in January
The New York Democrat will become the first Black person to lead the House, succeeding Nancy Pelosi in a role that places him second in the presidential line of succession.
By Andrew Yang ·
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is positioned to become the first Black speaker of the House of Representatives. The vote will occur when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3. Jeffries, who represents parts of Brooklyn, currently serves as the House minority leader. He was elected to that position in 2022, becoming the first Black politician to lead either party in the House or the Senate.
As speaker, Jeffries would assume the second spot in the presidential line of succession, directly behind the vice president. This role marks the culmination of his nearly 14-year tenure in the chamber. He entered Congress in 2013 as a rank-and-file member focused on criminal justice policy. Since then, he has risen through the ranks to serve as a top lieutenant under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi before assuming the minority leadership.
Jeffries helped deliver a decisive midterm victory for House Democrats. In a statement on Tuesday night, he described the election as a mandate for change. “This is a change election, and we understand as House Democrats that we need to deliver dramatic change,” Jeffries said. He added, “Things are broken. We need a Congress that puts the American people first.”
His path to the speakership began in the New York State Assembly, where he served for six years. During that time, he worked to regulate warrantless stop-and-frisk searches by the New York City Police Department. Before entering politics, Jeffries practiced private law. He credited a law school legal clinic for sparking his interest in criminal justice reform. “I think over time it did inform that if I had the opportunity to go into the practice of law, or eventually public service, that I wanted to do something about the broken criminal justice system,” he told NY1 in 2023.
In Washington, Jeffries led the effort to pass the First Step Act during the first Trump administration. The bipartisan legislation reduced sentences for certain drug crimes. The process required close cooperation with Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law. Jeffries told Time magazine, “to get things done in this town you need a coalition of unusual suspects.” He later noted, “There was a real partnership [with Kushner] that produced real results.”
Jeffries faced scrutiny this year after The New York Times reported on a private meeting with Kushner. Jeffries confirmed the meeting, stating it occurred at Kushner’s request to discuss affordability. He said Democrats intend to hold the administration accountable. The meeting drew attention from some within his own party, but Jeffries maintained that the interaction was focused on practical policy goals.
Jeffries has navigated internal party dynamics for years. He was once a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and sponsored Medicare for All proposals. However, he has drawn skepticism from activists on the party’s left. As speaker, he will manage a caucus that includes a growing number of Democratic Socialists of America-aligned members. In 2021, he told The Atlantic, “There will never be a moment where I bend the knee to hard-left democratic socialism.”
He has distinguished his political identity from that of some progressive colleagues. “Hard-left progressives tend to view the defining problem in America as one that is anchored in class,” Jeffries said. “That is not my experience as a Black man in this country.” He emphasized that Black progressives often tackle issues with an understanding that systemic racism has been present in America for over 400 years.
Jeffries also served as an impeachment manager during the Senate trial concerning Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine. That trial centered on Trump’s withholding of military aid while urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to announce investigations into Joe Biden. In his second term, Trump faces similar scrutiny. Jeffries has refused to commit to a new impeachment effort. He told Fox News in April that impeachment is not a top priority and told ABC in September that Democrats “haven’t ruled anything in and we haven’t ruled anything out.”
The primary focus for the new Congress, according to Jeffries, is lowering costs for Americans. The House will hold the formal floor vote for the speakership on Jan. 3, finalizing the leadership transition.
