Hakeem Jeffries set to lead House as first Black speaker

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is on the verge of becoming the first Black speaker of the House. His selection follows a decisive midterm victory for House Democrats and caps a nearly 14-year career in Congress. As speaker, Jeffries will hold the second position in the presidential line of succession, placing him directly behind the vice president.

Jeffries has served as House minority leader since 2022, a role that made him the first Black politician to lead either party in the House or Senate. His path to the top of the party hierarchy began in 2013 when he first entered Congress representing parts of Brooklyn. During that tenure, he transitioned from a rank-and-file member focused on criminal justice to a top lieutenant under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The 2013 election marked the start of a career defined by bipartisan work and intra-party negotiation. Before entering politics, Jeffries worked in private law practice. He credited a law school legal clinic for sparking his interest in criminal justice reform. In a 2023 interview with NY1, he stated that he wanted to address a broken system if given the opportunity for public service.

His legislative record includes work in the New York State Assembly, where he served for six years. There, he focused on regulating warrantless stop-and-frisk searches by the New York City Police Department. In Washington, he led the effort to pass the First Step Act during the first Trump administration. That bipartisan law reduced sentences for some drug crimes and required close collaboration with Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law.

Jeffries described the partnership with Kushner as productive. He told Time that getting things done in Washington requires a coalition of unusual suspects. However, the relationship drew scrutiny this year when The New York Times reported on private meetings between the two. Jeffries confirmed the meetings and said he accepted Kushner's request to discuss affordability while emphasizing that Democrats would hold the administration accountable.

As the party looks to deliver on its promises to voters, Jeffries faces the challenge of unifying a diverse and often fractious caucus. He will manage a growing number of members aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America and other progressive factions. In 2021, he told The Atlantic that he would never bend the knee to hard-left democratic socialism. He argued that Black progressives view systemic racism as a foundational issue in America, distinct from the class-focused views of some other progressive members.

Jeffries served as an impeachment manager during the Senate trial regarding Trump's pressure campaign on Ukraine. That case involved the withholding of military aid to push President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to announce investigations into Joe Biden. In the current cycle, Jeffries has declined to commit to pursuing another impeachment in Trump's second term. He told Fox News in April that it was not a top priority and told ABC in September that Democrats have not ruled anything in or out.

The new Congress will convene on Jan. 3 for a floor vote on the speaker selection. Jeffries has maintained that the primary focus for the new term is lowering costs for Americans. He framed the midterm election as a change election, stating that the American people need a Congress that prioritizes their needs over political gridlock.