House Democrats chose New York caucus chair Hakeem Jeffries to succeed Nancy Pelosi as Democratic leader in the chamber next year, making him the first Black person to lead one of the two major parties in either chamber of Congress.
House Democrats deliberated behind closed doors on Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning.
Jeffries ran unopposed for House Democratic leader, with Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark, the current assistant speaker, running as whip and California Rep. Peter Aguilar, previously vice chair of the caucus, expected to win the position.
Republicans will hold the majority in the next Congress, so Jeffries, Clark, and Aguilar will all lead a Democratic minority, the first in two terms.
Jeffries, at 52, will represent a generational shift from the current triumvirate of House Democratic leaders, who are three decades his senior. In 2019, he was elected chairman of the Democratic caucus, making him the party’s youngest leader.
His rise to leadership comes after Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn announced their intention to step down from their current positions of leadership. Clyburn is expected to become the new Congress’s assistant leader.
Pelosi reiterated her support for Jeffries Thursday night, telling reporters at the White House State Dinner, where high-profile lawmakers honored French President Emmanuel Macron, that she’s feeling “great, and happy, and relieved” about her successor.
For months, Democratic lawmakers have whispered that Pelosi’s potential exit from Congress could pave the way for Jeffries.
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