Democrats elected Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to lead the House caucus in the next Congress, ushering in a new generation of House leadership with Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) as the next minority whip and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) as House Democratic conference chairman.
House Democrats elected all three by acclamation on Wednesday.
Jeffries, 52, is expected to govern to the left of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in the new Congress.
“He’s a pragmatic progressive who works across the aisle to get stuff done,” one source close to Jeffries said. “He’s also got one of the most progressive voting records in Congress.”
The changing of the guard comes in the wake of Pelosi, 82, and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), 83, announcing their plans to step down from their leadership roles but remain in Congress next term.
PELOSI’S TOP DEPUTIES MAKE WAY FOR NEXT GENERATION OF DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP
Jeffries made history on Wednesday as the first black lawmaker elected to be leader of a party in Congress. The New York Democrat has been described by multiple of his colleagues as someone able to serve as a bridge between generations and between progressives and centrists in the caucus.
He lauded Pelosi and her top deputies in a statement released after he was elected minority leader.
“Today, with immense pride, I stood in front of the House Democratic Caucus as a candidate for Democratic Leader, and I am eternally grateful for the trust my colleagues placed in me with their votes,” he said. “It is a solemn responsibility that myself, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar are inheriting, and we will lean in hard and do the work with the seriousness and solemnity the moment requires. We stand on the shoulders of historic individuals, including our iconic Speaker Nancy Pelosi, our resolute Leader Steny Hoyer, and our historic Majority Whip James E. Clyburn.”
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) said he believes the new generation of leadership has energized the caucus. “It doesn’t feel like it has in the past after a midterm where we lost the majority — people are very energized,” he told the Washington Examiner. “We’re very confident about our ability to retake the majority in short order and excited about the new leadership team.”
Jeffries was first elected to his seat in 2012, rising to become a co-chairman of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee in 2017 before being elected as House Democratic Caucus chairman, a position he has held since 2019.
Clark, 59, will assume the No. 2 position in the caucus. The Massachusetts Democrat won her seat in a special election in 2013, becoming vice chairwoman of the House Democratic Caucus in 2019 before rising through the ranks to assistant speaker in 2021.
Clark has garnered a reputation for having strong member relationships and being a prolific fundraiser.
Aguilar, 43, will succeed Jeffries as caucus chairman, a position that entails setting the agenda and leading weekly caucus meetings. The California Democrat, who first came to Congress in 2015, serves as vice chairman and has played a key role in the Jan. 6 committee’s investigation into the riot at the Capitol.
All three lawmakers ran unopposed for their new roles after Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) dropped his bid for caucus chairman, instead running to become the next chairman of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.
In the race for vice chair, Ted Lieu (D-CA) was elected on the third ballot, defeating Debbie Dingell (D-MI) 141 to 74. Two other candidates who ran for the position, Joyce Beatty (D-OH) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA), were defeated in the earlier rounds of voting.
The caucus also voted 166 to 38 Wednesday afternoon to allow Jeffries to nominate the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, a nomination House Democrats would still have to ratify. Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) and Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA) are running for the role.
And the conference voted to create a “battleground leadership representative,” approving the amendment 152 to 54.
While Pelosi and Hoyer opted to step back from their leadership position, Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC), 82, is running for the No. 4 House Democrat role, that of assistant leader, though Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) announced on Wednesday that he would challenge Clyburn.
Aguilar initially intended to run for assistant leader, but Clyburn’s decision to seek the role led to his decision to seek the caucus chair position.
House Republicans held their internal leadership elections shortly before Congress’s Thanksgiving recess, with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) winning the internal race for speaker but facing obstacles in obtaining the votes needed to secure the gavel on the floor.
GOP lawmakers elected House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) to serve as majority leader next Congress, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Emmer (R-MN) to serve as whip, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to remain in her position, and Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) to head the House GOP’s campaign arm.
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Jeffries said Tuesday night that he had an “open mind” when it comes to forging a working relationship with McCarthy.
“I think I’ve been pretty gentle on Kevin McCarthy,” he told reporters. “Moving forward, it’s my hope that House Democrats can find common ground with Republicans to get things done that would make life better for everyday Americans whenever possible. We are also prepared to oppose their extremism when we must.”
Clark echoed these remarks in a press conference held with Jeffries and Aguilar after the three incoming leaders were elected.
“We are going to come together as a caucus. Our door is open for any member from across the aisle who want to get to work for the American people. And if they want to divide, if they want to obstruct, if they want to have political theater instead of finding those solutions the American people want, then we will be here to oppose,” she said. “Today is a day of transition and hope and the renewal of the values of our Congress.”
