NY Rep. Hakeem Jeffries officially announces bid for Democratic House leader

NEW YORK — U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York officially announced his bid on Friday to succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Democratic leader in the House of Representatives.

Just a day after Pelosi stepped down, the Brooklyn lawmaker asked fellow Democrats to support his bid to become the first Black leader of either party in either chamber of Congress.

“I write to humbly ask you for your support for the position of House Democratic Leader as we once again prepare to meet the moment,” Jeffries wrote in the “Dear Colleague” missive.

“House Democrats must also continue to advance a forward-looking vision anchored in kitchen table, pocketbook issues,” he wrote. “We can unify around an agenda designed to make life better for everyday Americans from all walks of life, and simultaneously embrace issues of social justice.”

So far, Jeffries is unopposed in the planned Nov. 30 leadership vote. He has the backing of Pelosi and her current leadership team, who are also stepping aside, and is considered an overwhelming favorite even if an unexpected challenger comes forward.

Jeffries is expected to be joined in leadership by Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., in the No. 2 spot and Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., in the No. 3 spot. Others are still jockeying for lower-level positions.

Known for his deliberate decision-making style and eloquent speaking cadence, Jeffries would serve as minority leader for the next two years as Republicans have retaken control of the House in the midterm elections by a slim margin.

His main role will be to maintain unity in the Democratic ranks and to organize the effort to retake control in the 2024 presidential election. Jeffries, 52, would be the presumptive Speaker of the House if Democrats can retake the House.

Pelosi, who is staying in Congress for now, assured the new leaders that she is not going to be a back-seat driver under new leadership.

“I have no intention of being the mother-in-law in the kitchen saying, ‘My son doesn’t like the stuffing that way,’” Pelosi said.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams praised Jeffries as a “real friend” and a powerhouse for the city. “No matter what position he holds, he conquers,” Adams said in an interview on WABC radio.

Rep. Richie Torres, D-N.Y., called Jeffries a uniquely talented Democratic leader with strong roots of support in both the progressive and moderate wings of the party.

“It’s in his temperament to be a unifying figure,” Torres said, noting that the Democratic House includes inner-city firebrands and conservative rural power brokers. “You have to be when you represent a coalition as ideologically varied as ours.”

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., said if both Democratic congressional leaders were to hail from Brooklyn, it would be “gangster,” while Torres said it “means that New York has won the lottery.”

If Jeffries does win, it would cap a meteoric rise through the ranks for the six-term lawmaker from Crown Heights, who won his current No. 5 post in leadership only four years ago.

A product of New York City public schools, Jeffries won a state Assembly seat as a progressive insurgent after a years-long fight against entrenched incumbents. He won his seat in Congress in 2012 after veteran Rep. Ed Towns, D-N.Y., retired rather than face a tough fight against the up-and-coming Jeffries.

Jeffries lives in Prospect Heights, less than a mile from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s home in Park Slope. If Jeffries wins, it would mark the first time the party leaders in both chambers have been neighbors.

Staying on message, Schumer showered praise on Jeffries and refused to weigh in on which side of Flatbush Avenue rules the roost.

“Every neighborhood in Brooklyn is great,” Schumer said.