Jeffries makes formal bid for lead role
Democrat attempts to make history
NEW YORK — A day after Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would step aside, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, launched a history-making bid Friday to become the first Black person to helm a major political party in Congress as leader of the House Democrats.
In a letter to colleagues, Mr. Jeffries gave a nod to the “legendary figures” before him: Mr. Pelosi, the first female speaker in U.S. history, and her leadership team. He encouraged his fellow House members to embrace a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to unleash their “full potential as a team.” And he pledged to draw on the diverse Democratic caucus as it works to govern in a divided Congress and win back the majority after House Republicans narrowly seized control in the midterm elections.
“The House Democratic Caucus is the most authentic representation of the gorgeous mosaic of the American people,” Mr. Jeffries wrote.
“I write to humbly ask for your support for the position of House Democratic Leader as we once again prepare to meet the moment.”
Along with Ms. Pelosi, the other top two House Democrats — Rep. Steny Hoyer, of Maryland, the majority leader, and Rep. James Clyburn, of South Carolina, the whip — also announced their intentions to
step down from leadership. All three are in their 80s.
A new generation wasted no time preparing to take their place. Along with Mr. Jeffries, Reps. Katherine Clark, of Massachusetts, and Pete Aguilar, of California — who have worked together as a lower-rung leadership team — swiftly wrote to colleagues with their bids for the second- and third-ranking positions in House Democratic leadership. Mr. Jeffries and Ms. Clark are in their 50s, while Mr. Aguilar is in his 40s.
The trio has been working together for years, preparing for just this moment, seeking to engineer a smooth transition when Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Hoyer and Mr. Clyburn decided
to leave.
Ms. Pelosi heartily backed the potential new leaders.
“It is with pride, gratitude and confidence in their abilities that I salute Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark and Vice Chairman Pete Aguilar for being ready and willing to assume this awesome responsibility,” Ms. Pelosi said Friday in a statement.
House Democrats will meet behind closed doors as a caucus in two weeks, after the Thanksgiving holiday, to select their members. So far, Mr. Jeffries, Ms. Clark and Mr. Aguilar have no stated challengers.
The Brooklyn-born Mr. Jeffries has long been seen as a charismatic new leader, known for his sharp but careful style, first in New York politics and then when he entered the national stage upon winning election to Congress in 2012.
A former corporate lawyer and state assemblyman, Mr. Jeffries has represented Brooklyn and parts of Queens for a decade and quickly rose through the ranks in Congress, serving as the party’s 5th-highestranking member as chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
“You could sense there was some purpose in him,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, the civil rights leader, recalling the quiet and pensive young lawmaker he first met decades go.
“He always seemed like a guy that was headed somewhere but was willing to pace himself to get there,” Rev. Sharpton said. “You meet a lot of people that are ambitious, that would do anything. You never got that impression from Hakeem.”
While Mr. Jeffries has been part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, he’s seen as a more moderate, business-friendly lawmaker who is sometimes at odds with the House’s furthest-left members.
But his appeal rests in his political skill at a transformative time as Ms. Pelosi and her team make way for a new era.
Carl Heastie, a Democratic state lawmaker who became the first Black person to serve as the speaker of the New York State Assembly, bonded with Mr. Jeffries on the campaign trail two decades ago over a love of hip-hop.
“Hakeem had that ‘it’ factor,” Mr. Heastie said. “He stands out in the room.”