FILE-House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speaks during a press conference with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) at the AC Hotel Washington DC Capitol Hill Navy Yard on November 03, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Ale
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is set to make history as the nation’s first Black speaker of the House, after Democrats defeated Republicans to win majority control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
Jeffries faces a vote of his colleagues when the new Congress convenes Jan. 3, 2027. If he is nominated and elected, it would be the first time a Black legislator becomes House speaker, a job second in line to the president and the only leadership position in Congress mandated by the U.S. Constitution, according to The Associated Press.
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Jeffries has pledged a 100-day agenda to lower the costs of living and launch oversight and investigations to hold the Trump administration accountable.
Who is Hakeem Jeffries?
The backstory:
Hakeem Jeffries, 56, would take over the office from Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, at a time when Democrats are eager to confront President Donald Trump’s final two years in office.
Jeffries, a New York University-educated lawyer, who has served in Congress since 2013, and is the highest-ranking Black elected official in the United States.
The Associated Press reported that Jeffries would be the first Democratic speaker since Nancy Pelosi and he has led the party for the past four years once she decided to step down after the Democrats’ election losses in 2022.
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Jeffries is a married father of two and represents parts of the Brooklyn-area district once held by trailblazing Rep. Shirley Chisholm.
He also earned a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton, a master's degree in public policy at Georgetown and graduated magna cum laude from NYU School of Law.
Jeffries also worked as a corporate lawyer and served in the New York state assembly before being elected to Congress.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by The Associated Press. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.