(CNN) — House Democrats appear likely to choose New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a potentially historic move to elect the first Black person to lead a party in Congress.
Jeffries launched his bid for House Democratic leader on Friday, promising his colleagues in a letter that he would empower and protect them — and expand their ranks.
“Our top non-governmental priority, for the sake of the American people, must be retaking the majority in November 2024,” Jeffries wrote.
In a sign of Jeffries’ emerging power, Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn quickly backed him after announcing they would step down from their leadership posts.
Pelosi blessed the new trio of leaders expected to succeed them — Jeffries, Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark and California Rep. Peter Aguilar — in a statement on Friday. The House Democrats’ leadership election is on November 30.
“A new day is dawning — and I am confident that these new leaders will capably lead our Caucus and the Congress,” Pelosi said.
“Speaker Pelosi has left an indelible mark on Congress and the country, and I look forward to her continued service and doing whatever I can to assist our new generation of Democratic leaders,” said Clyburn in a statement. And Hoyer said Jeffries “will make history for the institution of the House and for our country.”
At 52, Jeffries would represent a generational change from the current triumvirate of House Democratic leaders, who are three decades older than him. He became the chairman of the Democratic caucus in 2019, making him the youngest member serving in leadership.
In his letter Friday, Jeffries praised the past leadership but said “more must be done to combat inflation, defend our democracy, secure reproductive freedom, welcome new Americans, promote equal protection under the law and improve public safety throughout this country.”
He promised his rank-and-file colleagues that he would give them more power in the legislative process, writing “we must chart a return to regular order.” He also said that in “dangerous times,” Congress must focus on passing bills to “combat crime” for Americans and “significantly enhance the security of all Members and their families.”
Jeffries seems to enjoy widespread support among the House Democratic caucus.
Before Pelosi’s announcement, Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty, the Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman, told CNN that she expected the caucus to throw their support behind Jeffries.
“If she steps aside, I’m very clear that Hakeem Jeffries is the person that I will be voting for and leading the Congressional Black Caucus to vote for,” Beatty said. “I don’t always speak for everybody, but I’m very comfortable saying I believe that every member of the Congressional Black Caucus would vote for Hakeem Jeffries.”
And Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, a former Congressional Progressive Caucus chair, also threw his weight behind Jeffries. “Hakeem Jeffries came in my class and I’m a huge fan of Hakeem,” Pocan told CNN. “I think he’s extremely intelligent, he’s a good person to bring consensus among the caucus. I think he’ll be an outstanding Leader.”
For months, Democratic lawmakers have whispered that Pelosi’s potential exit from Congress could pave the way for Jeffries. The Brooklyn-bred attorney graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton, Georgetown and New York University Law School, before his election to the New York State Assembly in 2006. He has since served New York’s 8th District since winning his first election to Congress a decade ago. In the Trump era, Jeffries played a crucial role passing the bipartisan criminal justice overhaul bill known as the First Step Act and in arguing for the former president’s impeachment as a House manager in the first trial. He has continued to shape the party’s messaging during the Biden administration.
Some House Democrats have waited a long time to turn the page on the Pelosi era. She earned the speaker’s gavel after the 2006 elections, lost it after the 2010 elections, and won it again after the 2018 elections.
“She’s a historic speaker who’s accomplished an incredible amount, but I also think there are a lot of Democrats ready for a new chapter,” Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, who previously tried to oust Pelosi, told CNN.
But whoever follows Pelosi will serve in the shadow of her legacy as one of the most powerful and polarizing figures in American politics. The Speaker was instrumental in passing the Affordable Care Act, the 2008 economic stimulus bill, a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package and, most recently, a sweeping $750 billion health care and tax bill that included the largest investment in American history to address climate change.
Pelosi, who will continue to serve in Congress representing San Francisco, will leave her successor with a greater than expected House minority following the 2022 midterm elections. Some Democrats said they wished she would remain leader.
Asked about Pelosi’s decision, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer clutched his chest and said he had pleaded with her to stay.
“I told her when she called me and told me this and all that, I said, ‘Please change your mind. We need you here,'” Schumer said.
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