Hakeem Jeffries in Line to Become First Black Speaker of the House
With Democrats winning the House majority, the New York Democrat is positioned to take the gavel when the new Congress convenes in January.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is on track to become the first Black Speaker of the House after his party won control of the chamber in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
How Democrats got here
Republicans entered Election Day with a narrow House majority. Democrats needed a net gain of just three seats to take control, and they cleared that bar easily. NBC News projected a Democratic House on Tuesday night, and the Associated Press formally called the chamber for Democrats early Wednesday.
As of Wednesday morning, the AP had called 228 seats for Democrats and 139 for Republicans, with dozens of races still being counted, according to a tally of AP calls compiled by Duane Morris Government Strategies.
What happens next for Jeffries
The Speaker is elected by the full House when the new Congress convenes in early January. A candidate needs a majority of members voting, which is 218 if all 435 members are present.
With a large Democratic majority, the vote is expected to be far less dramatic than recent Speaker elections, which at times stretched over multiple ballots.
Who is Hakeem Jeffries
Jeffries, who represents a district in Brooklyn, New York, has led House Democrats since 2023, succeeding Nancy Pelosi. As minority leader, he led his caucus through narrow Republican majorities and repeated budget standoffs.
A big freshman class
The House he would lead will look different. At least 18 Republican incumbents were called as defeated on Tuesday, and no Democratic incumbent had lost as of Wednesday morning, according to the AP calls.
What the Speaker does
The Speaker presides over the House, sets the floor schedule, appoints members to some committees and is second in the line of presidential succession after the vice president. The office gives its holder wide influence over which bills receive a vote.
The agenda ahead
A Democratic House gains control of committees, subpoena power and the starting point for spending bills. Combined with a Democratic Senate, the party will set the legislative agenda for the last two years of President Donald Trump’s term.
The president, however, retains the veto. Trump told The Wall Street Journal he would work with Democrats but block bills he finds unacceptable, setting up a test of how much the new majority can achieve.
How we reported this
This report is based on information confirmed by the Associated Press or by at least two major news organizations, as noted in the text. Claims that have not been independently verified are identified as such. BURN VOC will update this story as new information is released.
