Hakeem Jeffries Makes History as First Black Congressional Party Leader
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries entered the history books this week when he was unanimously elected by House Democrats to become the Democratic leader in 2023. The 52-year-old New York representative became the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress when he assumed the influential role in January last year.
“The fact that I’m able to stand up here today is another data point in that narrative,” Jeffries told the 118th Congress during his acceptance speech.
Jeffries took over from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who led the House Democrats for nearly two decades. His election marked the dawn of a new era and generation for the caucus.
New Generation to Lead House Democrats
Along with Jeffries as Democratic leader, the House Democrats also elected Rep. Katherine Clark from Massachusetts as the whip and Rep. Pete Aguilar from California as caucus chairman.
At 43 years old, Aguilar became the highest-ranking Latino lawmaker in Congressional history. The new trio of diverse leaders reflects the future direction of the party.
In congratulating the new leaders, Speaker Pelosi said, “Together, this new generation of leaders reflects the vibrancy and diversity of our great nation — and they will reinvigorate our Caucus with their new energy, ideas and perspective.”
Brooklyn Roots to Capitol Hill Trailblazer
A Brooklyn native, Jeffries first entered politics when he was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2006. After serving six years as a state representative, he won New York’s 8th Congressional District seat in 2012.
During his decade in Congress, the lawyer and public policy graduate has been a staunch advocate for police reform and led the push for the landmark First Step Act targeting sentencing reform.
As chair of the Democratic caucus since 2019, Jeffries rose to further prominence for his role prosecuting former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment.
Now the longtime legislator leads the House Democrats at a time when the GOP holds a slim majority. While promising to find common ground when possible, Jeffries vowed to “oppose extremism on the other side of the aisle whenever necessary.”
