Hakeem Jeffries Set to Become First Black House Speaker

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York is expected to be elected speaker of the House, a position that would make him the first Black lawmaker to hold the role. The vote is scheduled for Jan. 3, when the new Congress convenes. Jeffries, a Democrat, secured a decisive victory for his party in the recent midterm elections, positioning him to take the gavel as the chamber’s presiding officer.

Jeffries has served in the House for nearly 14 years, representing parts of Brooklyn, N.Y., since 2013. He was elected House minority leader in 2022, becoming the first Black politician to lead either party in the House or Senate. As speaker, he would move up the line of presidential succession, ranking second after the vice president. His tenure has seen him rise from a rank-and-file member focused on criminal justice to a top lieutenant under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.

The path to the speakership has required Jeffries to build support within a diverse House Democratic caucus. Speaking on Tuesday night, he acknowledged the pressure on the party to fulfill its campaign promises. "This is a change election, and we understand as House Democrats that we need to deliver dramatic change," Jeffries said. "Things are broken. We need a Congress that puts the American people first."

Before entering politics, Jeffries worked as a private practice lawyer. He credited his time helping community members through a law school legal clinic with 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 a 2023 interview. Prior to Congress, he served six years in the New York State Assembly, where he worked to regulate warrantless stop-and-frisk searches by the New York City Police Department.

During the first Trump administration, Jeffries led the effort to pass the bipartisan First Step Act, which reduced sentences for certain drug crimes. That work involved close collaboration with Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law. Jeffries described the partnership as one that produced real results, noting that getting legislation passed often requires a "coalition of unusual suspects." He faced criticism from within his party this year for a private meeting with Kushner. Jeffries confirmed the meeting, stating it was held at Kushner’s request to discuss affordability, and said Democrats intend to hold the administration accountable.

Jeffries has navigated internal party divisions regarding his political identity. He was once a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a sponsor of Medicare for All proposals, though he has drawn skepticism from the party’s left wing. As speaker, he will need to determine how to manage legislative process with a growing number of members aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America. In a 2021 interview, he explained his view on systemic inequities. "Hard-left progressives tend to view the defining problem in America as one that is anchored in class. That is not my experience as a Black man in this country," Jeffries said.

The lawmaker also served as an impeachment manager during the Senate trial concerning President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine. That dispute centered on Trump withholding military aid while urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to announce investigations into then-Vice President Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election. Like many elected Democrats, Jeffries has not committed to pursuing impeachment again in Trump’s second term. He said in April that it was not a top priority and said in September that Democrats have not ruled anything in or out.

Jeffries has maintained that the primary focus for the new Congress should be lowering costs for Americans. The House will hold a floor vote for speaker on Jan. 3. The outcome is expected to formalize his role as the chamber’s presiding officer, marking a new chapter in his legislative career.